Louisville QB Malik Cunningham declares for 2023 NFL Draft, opts out of Fenway Bowl

Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham announced on his Twitter page on Friday afternoon that he will officially enter the 2023 NFL Draft. He also announced that he will be opting out of the Cardinals’ upcoming bowl game in the Fenway Bowl against the Cincinnati Bearcats.

I will Always Call This Place Home🫶🏿😔 pic.twitter.com/uzOwSWl4k3

— Malik Cunningham (@MalikMalikc10) December 9, 2022

Cunningham hangs up his cleats in Louisville as one of the most decorated players in school history. Simply put, he peppered his name all over the Cardinal record books. Cunningham finished his prolific career with several school records including touchdowns responsible for (120), points responsible for (720), tied for first in touchdowns scored (50), tied for first in rushing touchdowns (50), tied for first in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (50)–also an ACC record.

Cunningham finished second in school history in total yards with 12,848. He also finished his career with 3,184 rushing yards–which ranks him second in program history for rushing yards by a quarterback, behind Lamar Jackson (3,970 rushing yards). Cunningham threw for 9,664 career passing yards, which ranks him fourth in program history. He also completed 62.6% of his passes during his career (ranks fourth in school history), while tossing in 70 career touchdown passes (ranks fifth in school history).

His announcement on his Twitter page reads: “I would like to first thank God for all the blessings and opportunities that I have encountered throughout my life. Thank you for allowing me to play the game of football. I would also like to give thanks to my family and friends for your love and support. I would like to thank the academic staff for your support all the way through graduation and beyond. Thanks to the coaching staff for pushing me on and off the field to be the best I could be. To my brothers, thank you for your relationships that I will cherish the rest of my life. Lastly, to Card Nation, thank you for supporting me through my journey with football. Louisville first Cardinal forever. L1C4”

“With that being said after many conversations with God and my family, I will be declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft. I will be opting out of the bowl game and starting my pre-draft training. Malik Cunningham.”

Cunningham has also been invited to play in the 2023 Hula Bowl, which invites 100 of the nation’s top senior college football players to play in front of NFL, XFL, CFL, and USFL scouts.

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft takes place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event location this year is the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft broadcast runs throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. One hundred underclassmen gained approval for last year’s draft. Seventy-three of those 100 underclassmen received special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.