The New England Patriots clearly believed undrafted free agent Malik Cunningham could contribute to their team one way or another.

That’s why they signed the former Louisville quarterback to a team-record rookie free-agent deal with $200,000 guaranteed with a $30,000 signing bonus. After playing quarterback at rookie minicamp, Cunningham has moved to wide receiver this spring. He’s still playing some quarterback after practice, but he’s meeting with wide receivers and primarily running routes and catching passes in practice.

“It's definitely different, but I'm a team player,” Cunningham said. “So whatever the team needs me to do, I want to do it my best ability, even though I never did it before, just keep working every day and trying to get better at it.”

The Patriots were the only team to try Cunningham out at wide receiver before the 2023 NFL Draft. Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien ran the workout. Cunningham, a quarterback for life, had never ran routes before.

“Yeah, I always had the ball,” Cunningham said. “Now it’s kind of different. But it’s good, though. I’m becoming a team player. I like it.”

Cunningham clearly knew a move to wide receiver was possible when the joined New England, and Julian Edelman’s story — from quarterback at Kent State to one of the greatest postseason pass catchers in NFL history — played a part in Cunningham signing with the Patriots.

Cunningham says he hears Edelman’s name in the facility at least once a week.

“Seeing the success he had a receiver, it just goes to show that it can be done,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham scored 50 rushing touchdowns in college and ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. So, he certainly has the physical tools to play wide receiver. Edelman ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at his pro day in 2009.

The former Louisville passer does seem outmatched at times by defensive backs in full-team but still believes the transition is going well. He’s been praised for his route-running abilities in practice and certainly seems to have a grasp of New England’s offense.

“It’s going good,” he said. “There are some days where I'm like, man, I'm overwhelmed but you just gotta take a deep breath, relax and just, just like I said, just keep chipping away and trying to get better each and every day.”

Cunningham and other rookie wide receivers — Kayshon Boutte, Demario Douglas and Ed Lee — have been known to stay after practice with Patriots quarterbacks Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe and Trace McSorely. The undrafted free agent is trying to get as much work in at his new position as possible as he competes with those rookies, plus JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, Tre Nixon and Raleigh Webb, for snaps.

“Well, for me, I'm doing all this off raw athleticism,” Cunningham said. “So, just trying to get better, trying to find the little nuggets that Mac sees and Bailey and Trace. Try to get on the same page because like I said, I mean, I've been in that position and know kind of where I want my guys to be. So, now I'm one of their guys, so I just gotta get where they need me to be.”

Cunningham can keep learning through training camp and the preseason this summer. New England won’t make trim their roster to 53 players until Aug. 29.

Featured image via Sophie Weller-A to Z Sports