Fansided

3 legendary NFL quarterbacks who played in the wrong era

By Russell S. Baxter

SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 2: Randall Cunningham #12 of the Philadelphia Eagles, drops back to pass in an NFL game against the San Francisco 49er's on October 2, 1994 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. At left is David Alexander #72 of the Eagles; at right is Dana Stubblefield #94 of the 49ers. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 2: Randall Cunningham #12 of the Philadelphia Eagles, drops back to pass in an NFL game against the San Francisco 49er's on October 2, 1994 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. At left is David Alexander #72 of the Eagles; at right is Dana Stubblefield #94 of the 49ers. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images) /
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – DECEMBER 20: Defensive lineman Gerald Nichols #77 of the New York Jets pursues quarterback Randall Cunningham #12 of the Philadelphia Eagles during a game at Giants Stadium on December 20, 1987 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Eagles defeated the Jets 38-27. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – DECEMBER 20: Defensive lineman Gerald Nichols #77 of the New York Jets pursues quarterback Randall Cunningham #12 of the Philadelphia Eagles during a game at Giants Stadium on December 20, 1987 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Eagles defeated the Jets 38-27. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

NFL quarterbacks from the wrong era: 1. Randall Cunningham

The current NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles are led by emerging star Jalen Hurts. It’s a franchise that also employed versatile six-time Pro Bowler Donovan McNabb for 11 seasons. However, the Birds once had a quarterback that proved that he could truly fly.

Sixteen years before the Atlanta Falcons made Virginia Tech University quarterback Michael Vick with the first overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles were using a second-round selection on talented UNLV signal-caller Randall Cunningham.

Early in his NFL career, Cunningham certainly took a beating while running away from NFL defenses the best he could. He was part of an Eagles team that in 1986 gave up an incredible 104 sacks, a league record.

However, the talented athlete began to run away from, duck under, and leap over defenders in a single bound. He would finish his NFL career with 4,928 yards rushing and 35 TDs. Cunningham was far from one-dimensional. He connected on 56.6 percent of his passes for 29,979 yards and 207 scores.

Cunningham came out of retirement and spent three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings from 1997-99. In 1998, he wound up the primary starter for what would be a club that finished 15-1 and set a then-NFL record for points scored in a season (556).

Next. Every NBA team's all-time starting lineup. dark

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