Patriots Rumors: Coaches Wanted Malik Cunningham After This Early Loss

Whether the Patriots made the right call in essentially allowing Malik Cunningham to leave for the Ravens is up for debate.

However, it’s become clear that the decision flew in the face of how some in the building wished the franchise handled the undrafted rookie.

Cunningham, a quarterback-receiver hybrid, was active in three games but saw just six total snaps before signing with Baltimore last week. He didn’t register a single pass, carry or target in New England.

Trent Brown called out the Patriots after Cunningham signed with the Ravens, and doubled down on the take Wednesday afternoon. In reaction to Brown’s words, NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry reported that some coaches wanted Cunningham to play after New England’s Week 5 home loss to the New Orleans Saints.

“I think when you think about just how much support there was for him, and all we heard about Malik Cunningham after the fact, I do think there was real, genuine love for the guy’s skill set here,” Perry said. “Based on, basically, what they saw from him in practice.

“I will tell you this: I heard from coaches after the Saints game. So, two blowouts in a row, bad quarterback play. And I had coaches say to me, ‘We might as well try Malik at this point. What do we have to lose?’ And so, that may have been reflective of a greater portion of the locker room than maybe I was willing to give credit to at the time.”

Cunningham did get an opportunity the next week when the Patriots visited the Las Vegas Raiders. But a bizarre week of preparation ultimately produced six meaningless snaps in another loss.

Cunningham was inactive last Sunday when the Ravens beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. Baltimore will visit the San Francisco 49ers for a Week 16 edition of “Monday Night Football.”