Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images Sunday’s kickoff at Gillette Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET. The New England Patriots have elevated quarterback Malik Cunningham from the practice squad in advance of Sunday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. It marks a return to the gameplan for the undrafted rookie. Cunningham, 25, cleared waivers in October after spending 10 days on the 53-man roster. The Louisville product made his NFL debut against the Las Vegas Raiders. It spanned a package of six offensive snaps while aligning under center, in the slot and out wide for what became a direct-snap touchdown. Scheduled to revert, his standard call-up comes with Bailey Zappe in line to make his first start of the regular season. When Cunningham was last active for New England, he served as the No. 2 behind Mac Jones while the 2022 draft choice out of Houston Baptist and Western Kentucky served as the emergency quarterback. Cunningham, listed at 6-foot-1, 198 pounds, has spent the bulk of the fall working with the wide receiver room. An increase in practice reps followed elsewhere heading into Week 13. “He gets some reps at quarterback on the scout team and things like that, but he’s played mostly at receiver and he’s got a lot better as a receiver,” offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien said during his Tuesday video conference. “I do think it’s hard to learn both those positions — it’s not like learning right tackle and left guard. When you’re learning quarterback and wide receiver, it’s different. But I think he’s done a really admirable job in trying to do both.” The 2-9 Patriots ruled out rookie wideouts Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte on the final injury report. An additional five members of the active roster, excluding veteran offensive lineman Riley Reiff on injured reserve, remain listed as questionable. Kickoff at Gillette Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET. Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/2023/12/2/23 ... 3-chargers
