Philadelphia Eagles: 30 greatest players in franchise history
By John Buhler
12. player. 54. . QB. (1985-95). Randall Cunningham
One day, hopefully sooner rather than later, Randall Cunningham will get the bust he rightfully deserves in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Cunningham is a legend in Philadelphia and in Minnesota due to his NFL MVP season in 1998 with the Vikings. An early pioneer in the dual-threat quarterback archetype, Cunningham was utterly sensational for the Eagles for 11 seasons.
Cunningham is easily the greatest player in the history of UNLV football. Not only was he a terrific quarterback for the Rebels, he was a two-time All-American as a punter for UNLV. He led the Rebels to their only 10-win season to date. Cunningham has rightfully earned his spot in the College Football Hall of Fame for his time in Las Vegas.
Cunningham was a former second-round pick by the Eagles in the 1985 NFL Draft. Over 11 seasons with the Eagles, he made 107 starts under center, going 63-43-1. Cunningham made three straight trips to the Pro Bowl in Eagles uniform from 1988 to 1990, during the peak of the Buddy Ryan era in Philadelphia. However, injuries in the early 1990s forced Cunningham into his first retirement after the 1995 NFL season.
Overall, Cunningham completed 55.7 percent of his passes for 22,877 yards, 150 touchdowns and 105 interceptions in 11 years with the Eagles. He also found pay dirt 32 additional times on the ground in Eagles uniform. Only Eagles merit alone, Cunningham does come up short of making it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However if you factor in his Minnesota years, there is a case to be made. Regardless, Cunningham was the team’s franchise quarterback for roughly a decade.