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Ravens QB 'not being stubborn' in switch to WR
The Ravens signed Malik Cunningham off the New England Patriots practice squad in December, reuniting him with his former college teammate, Lamar Jackson.
At the time, Baltimore was using Cunningham as a quarterback, wide receiver and special teamer, but in May, the team officially moved him to wide receiver.
It's a switch that many quarterbacks would likely be opposed to. Cunningham felt that way at first but has since embraced the opportunity.
"At first, I looked at it as like, 'Dang man, I want to be a quarterback,'" Cunningham said, via the team's official website. "But at the same time, you have to do what's best for the team and that's how I looked at it. I was like, 'Hey, I can make plays for the quarterbacks out there when I get the ball in space.' So I looked at it as a plus, not as a fail."
Cunningham played in just one game for the Ravens in Week 18 of last season with all his snaps coming at wide receiver. He has yet to find himself on the stat sheet in Baltimore, but that was far from the case during his collegiate career.
During his last two years at Louisville, Cunningham threw for 4,509 yards and 27 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,591 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Cunningham's athleticism is exactly why the Ravens want to find a way to get him on the field.
"It goes back to me not being stubborn," he added. "I have to do what's best for the team, be where my feet are. Maybe they see something else in me."
However, Cunningham has long looked up to Jackson as a mobile quarterback. So he said his position change is not the end of his aspirations of playing quarterback in the NFL.
"I believe in myself and my ability," Cunningham stated. "Yeah, I can play quarterback. But that's not what they need me to do right now. They need me to do something else. I'm the type of guy, whatever it takes for the team to win."
Cunningham will have to fully embrace the switch for now if he hopes to make Baltimore's 53-man roster as Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, rookie Devontez Walker, Tylan Wallace and Deonte Harty are all ahead of him on the depth chart.
More must-reads:
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- The 'Most 100-yard rushing games in the playoffs' quiz
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Yankees Announce Paul Goldschmidt News After Loss to Twins
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Giants force Jets' Justin Fields into familiar problem at joint practice
New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields was a little more accurate on Wednesday than he was in his "alarming" performance during joint practice with the New York Giants on Tuesday. Still, the fifth-year quarterback had a familiar issue pop up. Per Dan Duggan and Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic, Fields took several sacks against a Giants defense that brought the house on a shaky Jets offensive line. Via The Athletic: "On the other field, the Giants defensive front carried over its domination from Tuesday, giving Jets quarterback Justin Fields and his offensive line plenty of problems. Camp stats are subjective, especially when it comes to sacks, but the Giants appeared to get to Fields for four sacks. "Similar to Tuesday, there were moments when it was hard to tell exactly who was causing problems as the Giants sent multiple bodies in the backfield. Fields, who went 7-of-11 on the day, had a few overthrows on plays that likely were sacks." Fields did have a couple of long runs on a Giants defense that struggled against the rush in 2024. While Fields has a unique ability to add to the running game, the Jets need the 2021 first-round pick to push the ball down the field in the passing game. Fields has always had a problem with being indecisive in the pocket, leading to his taking too many sacks since entering the league. He led the league with 55 sacks in 2022 and has taken 151 in his four-year career. The Ohio State product took 16 sacks during his six starts with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. In camp, Fields doesn't have to worry about taking body blows from sacks that lead to injuries. That will happen in the regular season if he plays how he practiced on Wednesday.
2 Jets first-stringers in danger of losing starting jobs ahead of 2025 NFL season
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