Did Trent Brown Take Shot At Patriots In Malik Cunningham Farewell?

The Baltimore Ravens were a perfect landing spot for Malik Cunningham. Just ask Trent Brown.

Minutes after the Ravens signed Cunningham off the New England Patriots’ practice squad Tuesday, Brown posted a farewell message to the well-liked rookie on social media.

“Go flourish where your talent is respected lil bradda,” the Patriots offensive tackle wrote on his Instagram story.

Cunningham also received online tributes from several other Patriots players, including wide receiver Tyquan Thornton and Mack Wilson and Ja’Whaun Bentley.

In Baltimore, Cunningham will get to reunite with former Louisville teammate Lamar Jackson and play in an offense crafted to accentuate the strengths of mobile quarterbacks. He was a change-of-pace option in New England, boasting a vastly different skill set than fellow QBs Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe and Will Grier.

Brown’s post, though, seemed to suggest at least some within the Patriots organization weren’t pleased with how the team utilized Cunningham. The 25-year-old primarily practiced as a receiver with the Patriots, according to multiple coaches and Cunningham himself, and saw only a small handful of game reps.

Cunningham played just six regular-season snaps in his brief Patriots tenure, all in a Week 6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. New England elevated him from the practice squad for each of its last two games but declined to use him. He watched from the sideline while Zappe took every snap against the Los Angeles Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers.

In a statement to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cunningham thanked Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft but said he “just (felt) like this is a good opportunity for me.” He’ll now have an opportunity to learn behind Jackson, the NFL’s premier dual-threat QB, and compete for a backup spot with fourth-year pro Tyler Huntley and veteran journeyman Josh Johnson.

The move also allows Cunningham to leap from the bottom to the top of the AFC standings. The 10-3 Ravens own the conference’s No. 1 seed entering Week 15, while the 3-10 Patriots were eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday. Per NFL rules, Baltimore must carry Cunningham on its 53-man roster for at least three weeks.