Malik Cunningham's addition to Patriots' active roster has NFL fans roasting Mac Jones - "Dirty Mac is jobless"

Mac Jones barely survived being benched for Bailey Zappe for a brief stretch in 2022. Despite Zappe's surprisingly good run as a starter, the New England Patriots decided to keep their faith in the one-time Pro Bowler, even as they fell back out of the playoffs.

But in 2023, the situation has gotten only worse. Jones has thrown more interceptions (six) than touchdowns (five), and the Patriots are a woeful 1-4 and dead last in the AFC East, a far cry from their 19 years of near-absolute dominance with Tom Brady.

On Saturday, they revealed their new contingency plan: Malik Cunningham. The undrafted rookie out of Louisville is surprisingly getting a three-year contract after his promotion from the practice squad, which fans think may spell trouble for Jones, as their reactions below show:

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Why did Patriots give Malik Cunningham a big contract, and how will he fit into their offensive system?

Malik Cunningham is a strange case when it comes to current NFL players. Normally, he is a dual-threat quarterback who has been as prolific with his legs as he has been with his arm, but during preseason, he also earned reps at wide receiver. This makes him possibly the most versatile member of the New England Patriots' offense - someone who can seamlessly fit into almost any scheme

But the question looms: is he a long-term option under center? Even if Mac Jones is ditched after his rookie contract (based on his performance so far, his fifth-year option seems unlikely to be invoked), Bailey Zappe is there.

But given his surprising three-year deal (and before that, he already set the franchise record for most money given to a UDFA, at $200,000), head coach/de facto general manager Bill Belichick appears to be very confident in his abilities, as he said in a recent press conference:

“Malik’s really worked hard and made a lot of improvement... He can catch the ball, but just route-running, finding zones and things like that. But it’s come pretty naturally to him.

“And he plays a good amount of quarterback. He’s competent there. He’s a smart kid, he works hard, and the opportunities he’s had, he’s actually looked — he’s shown a lot of improvement doing them. It’s a little too early for an induction ceremony here, but it’s definitely a lot of improvement.”

But whether it be Zappe or Cunningham threatening him, Jones has much to work on before convincing Belichick and Robert Kraft that he is New England's rightful successor to Tom Brady.