Making the case for each Patriots QB to start in Week 12

Malik Cunningham

Cunningham was an undrafted free agent and signed one of the most lucrative UDFA contracts in NFL history to join the Patriots after the 2023 NFL Draft.

Pros:

Malik Cunningham is mobile, which means he can attack you in multiple ways. He was brought in to be a receiver and dazzled in his very limited action during the 2023 pre-season. He scrambled for a touchdown and almost threw another. He accounted for 120 touchdowns while playing at Louisville (70 passing and 50 rushing), and like most dual-threat quarterbacks, is good at throwing on the run, which he'll need to be with this offensive line.

Cons:

He was an undrafted free agent for a reason. His best completion percentage for a season in college was 64%, and he finished his career with a 62.6% completion percentage. He was a one-trick pony at Louisville.

Unlike Lamar Jackson (whom he has been compared to), who threw for 300 yards a game in college and won the Heisman, Cunningham was tasked with running the RPO and focusing primarily on the "R." He's already been signed and released by the team, which shows they may not have a ton of faith in his abilities at QB or WR.