Randall Cunningham is one of the earliest iterations—if not the first widely recognized version—of the dual-threat quarterback in the NFL. He was drafted in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played for 11 seasons. He put up 29,979 passing yards and 207 touchdowns while rushing for 4,928 yards and 35 scores on the ground.
His style of play was groundbreaking. He didn’t just scramble like Fran Tarkenton or Roger Staubach—he extended plays and hurt defenses with his legs, whether on designed runs or broken plays. He was Lamar Jackson 12 years before Lamar was born. Nicknamed “The Ultimate Weapon,” Cunningham won the 1990 NFL MVP after throwing for 3,466 yards and 30 touchdowns, while also rushing for 942 yards and five scores.
Philadelphia Eagles Legend Reaches Out to Jalen Hurts
His career was derailed by injuries, and he retired before the 1996 season to focus on his granite business.
But in 1997, Minnesota Vikings head coach Dennis Green called and asked Cunningham to come back. He played sparingly that year, but in 1998, he went 13-1 as a starter and threw for 3,704 yards and 34 touchdowns—connecting with future Hall of Famers Cris Carter and rookie Randy Moss. Cunningham earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors and narrowly missed out on a second MVP.
That Vikings team went 15-1 and stormed into the NFC Championship Game as 11-point favorites over the Atlanta Falcons. Leading by seven with 2:11 left, the Vikings missed a field goal—their first miss in two years. The Falcons drove down to tie the game, then won in overtime on a Morten Andersen 38-yard kick.
Now, more than two decades later, Cunningham got to see Jalen Hurts fulfill his dream of winning a Super Bowl. According to NFL on ESPN, Cunningham texted Hurts shortly after the win.
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“What I didn’t fulfill, I’m fulfilling through you,” Cunningham wrote.
For his part, Hurts—also a dual-threat quarterback—is well aware of the legacy he’s continuing in Philadelphia. Cunningham, Donovan McNabb, and Michael Vick paved the way, and now with a Super Bowl MVP under his belt, Hurts understands his place in the franchise’s history.
“It’s been wonderful just knowing how rich a history this place has of having African American quarterbacks taking the reins and knowing how hard and how far of a journey it’s been,” Hurts told ANDSCAPE.
“As the guys that I’ve watched day in and day out every Sunday growing up… It’s something you kinda look back [on] later and go, I was able to be part of that fraternal brotherhood—and definitely try to find time to appreciate it now. That’s for sure.”
Hurts now has 55 rushing touchdowns for the Eagles, making him the franchise’s all-time leader. Who’s second? Randall Cunningham, with 32.
