Patriots Elevate Malik Cunningham, Running Back From Practice Squad

The Patriots called up two young offensive players for Thursday night’s game in Pittsburgh.

New England elevated quarterback/wide receiver Malik Cunningham and running back Kevin Harris from the practice squad ahead of its Week 14 matchup with the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.

The question with Cunningham is whether he’ll actually see the field this time. The Patriots also added him to the gameday roster for last week’s home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers but chose not to use him, with Bailey Zappe playing every snap at QB.

Cunningham, an undrafted rookie out of Louisville, saw his only regular-season NFL snaps to date in Week 6, playing three at QB and three at wideout in a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Zappe is expected to start again against Pittsburgh, but Cunningham’s rushing ability could add some juice to a Patriots offense that ranks last in the NFL in scoring. New England scored six, seven and zero points in its last three games.

Harris, meanwhile, will provide backfield depth with Rhamondre Stevenson sidelined with an ankle injury. Ezekiel Elliott should see the lion’s share of snaps and touches in Stevenson’s absence. Ty Montgomery and JaMycal Hasty rounding out the list of reserve options.

A 2022 sixth-round draft pick out of South Carolina, Harris played sparingly as a rookie last season, carrying 18 times for 52 yards and one touchdown over five appearances. He was released during final roster cuts this summer and has spent the entire season on the practice squad.

The 2-10 Patriots entered Thursday on track to land the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Steelers are 7-5.

Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET.