Randall Cunningham

Lore & Background

Cunningham played college football for the UNLV Rebels, twice earning first-team All-American honors as a punter and winning PCAA Offensive Player of the Year in 1983 and 1984. He was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL draft by the Eagles, where he spent his first 11 seasons. During his Philadelphia tenure, he led the team to five playoff appearances and one division title while receiving three consecutive Pro Bowl and two second-team All-Pro selections.

He retired after the 1995 season, but returned a year later to join the Vikings. In 1998, Cunningham enjoyed the strongest season of his career and helped the team set the NFL record for the most regular season points scored en route to an NFC Championship Game appearance. He also received a fourth Pro Bowl selection and first-team All-Pro honors. Cunningham lost his starting position during the 1999 season due to a performance decline and was released afterwards.

In his final two seasons, he held a backup role with the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens. Upon retiring a second and final time, Cunningham became an ordained Protestant minister and served as the team chaplain for the Las Vegas Raiders from 2020 to 2022. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

Reader's Guide

Cunningham was the Eagles' second-round pick, and the first quarterback selected in the 1985 NFL draft. In his rookie season he played sparingly as a backup to veteran Ron Jaworski. In 1986, new head coach Buddy Ryan designated Jaworski the starter but would replace him with Cunningham in third-and-long situations. After a hand injury to Jaworski in week 10, Cunningham replaced him as the starter.

He was sacked a franchise record 72 times that season. Cunningham was permanently handed the starting job for the 1987 season. He was elected by league players as the NFC starting quarterback for the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl. In the 1988 Divisional Playoffs, Cunningham threw 54 passes for 407 yards during the 'Fog Bowl' 20–12 loss against the Chicago Bears.

In the subsequent Pro Bowl, Cunningham was named game MVP as the NFC defeated the AFC. In 1989, on October 2, Cunningham set the regular season franchise record with 62 pass attempts against the Chicago Bears. He unleashed a 91-yard punt against the Giants on December 3, the longest in Eagles history. In a 1990 game against the Buffalo Bills, Cunningham threw a 95-yard touchdown pass to Fred Barnett.

That same year, Cunningham finished with 942 rushing yards, the 2nd most ever for a quarterback at the time. In 1991, Cunningham tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the first game of the season. He returned the following season and led the team to its first playoff victory in 12 years. He retired after the 1995 season.

He left Philadelphia with the third-most rushing yards in Eagles history (4,482). He still holds the Eagles record with 6.62 yards per rush attempt, 422 sacks taken, and 6.5 yards per pass attempt in playoff games. Cunningham joined the Vikings in 1997. In his first year, he orchestrated two late scoring drives to defeat the New York Giants in an NFC Wild Card game, 23–22.

In 1998, he guided the Vikings to a 15–1 regular season record with 34 touchdown passes, 10 interceptions, and 3,704 passing yards. He led the league with a 106.0 passer rating while the Vikings scored a then-NFL record 556 points. The Vikings lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game in overtime. During the 1999 season, after throwing nine interceptions in six games, Cunningham was benched in favor of Jeff George. He was released before the 2000 season.