Malik Cunningham, a perfect Ravens fit at QB

The Ravens shocked the world on Tuesday when the first reports emerged talking about Baltimore signing a fourth quarterback to their already-filled quarterback room in New England Patriots UDFA rookie Malik Cunningham.

Cunningham, a Louisville alum who played from 2018 to 2022 and redshirted in 2017, officially became a member of the Baltimore Ravens and their fourth-roustered quarterback on Wednesday, thus reuniting him with former Louisville teammate Lamar Jackson.

Cunningham already participated in Wednesday's practice with the rest of his new teammates and he also shared some words with Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com.

Turns out Malik was drawn to the Ravens by their commitment to his development as a quarterback, something that wasn't so clear with his first and former franchise in New England, where he was never given the chance to man the pocket for more than a handful (single-digit) snaps even though the Patriots ultimately ended up benching the mediocre Mac Jones.

"When [John Harbaugh] told me that (he was going to be developed as a QB), I was all ears," Cunningham revealed. "I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m sliding. I ain’t going to stay (in New England).’"

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh emphasized Cunningham's versatility following Wednesday's practice, however, saying that Malik can contribute in multiple roles. That said, Harbaugh made clear that the team's plan is to keep four quarterbacks for the remainder of the season and that the move was made looking at the future of the franchise at the position.

"He’s a very talented person, so he’ll contribute in every way he can," Harbaugh said. It's worth noting that the Ravens will enter the offseason next year with only Lamar Jackson under contract and with Tyler Huntley and veteran Josh Johnson testing the market as unrestricted free agents.

Bill Belichick, the head coach of the Patriots, also spoke about Cunningham's transaction, suggesting that Baltimore's offense and the opportunity to learn from Lamar Jackson presented a more favorable situation and a better fit for him than New England.

"I think at the end of the day, they sold him on the opportunity, the offense," Belichick told NBC Sports Boston. "He had Lamar (as a teammate in Louisville), their offense suits Malik better than probably any other offense in the league does, so it makes sense."

Harbaugh was asked about how the Ravens plan to use Cunningham, considering the player can play both quarterback and wide receiver, and the coach left the door open to everything saying that Malik will "practice as a quarterback, receiver, and on special teams."

The coach acknowledged, however, "From a quarterback perspective, it’s a future type of a move."

Feel free to consider this signing part of the 2024 Ravens draft class if you wish, as Cunningham arrived in Baltimore nearly for free (pending his new contract, expected to be signed next spring) and as a barely-used UDFA by the Patriots. Quite a steal!

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