A former Louisville quarterback who reinvented himself as an NFL wide receiver after going undrafted.
Malik Cunningham spent four seasons running Louisville's offense as a dual-threat quarterback before making the unusual jump to receiver in the pros. Now with the Lions, he brings a rare blend of arm talent and open-field instincts to a Detroit offense always looking for gadget-play versatility.
Path to the league
Cunningham went undrafted out of Louisville in 2023 after a standout college career as the Cardinals' starting quarterback from 2019 to 2022. He signed with the New England Patriots as a rookie free agent, then bounced through practice squads before finding his footing.
Career highlights
At Louisville, Cunningham threw for 9,664 yards with 70 touchdowns and added 3,182 rushing yards and 50 more scores on the ground, earning MVP honors in the 2019 Music City Bowl after accounting for 360 total yards and two touchdowns. He converted from quarterback to wide receiver during Baltimore Ravens organized team activities in 2024, a shift that kept his NFL career alive.
2025 season recap
After stints with the Patriots and Ravens, Cunningham was waived by Baltimore in the 2025 preseason and signed to the Detroit Lions' practice squad in September. He closed the year on Detroit's practice squad before signing a reserve/future contract with the team in January 2026, giving him a fresh shot to make the wide receiver room in camp.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Malik Cunningham
- ESPN: Malik Cunningham
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Rushing
1 games played▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | lions | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- offense
- College
- Louisville
- Hometown
- Montgomery, AL, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
