10 biggest award snubs in NFL history

9. 1990 NFL MVP
Winner: Joe Montana
Snub: Randall Cunningham

This was one of the most famous MVP battles in football history. It's possibly the best quarterback to ever play the game in Joe Montana going up against a new type of quarterback, the two-way hot shot Randall Cunningham. Defensive star Derrick Thomas was also in the mix with his 20-sack season, but this truly came down to the quarterbacks.

Montana came into the season with all the accolades. He was the reigning MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. He went 14-1 on the defending Super Bowl Champions. The quarterback on the best team very often at least gets serious consideration for the MVP (see Purdy, Brock). Montana no doubt had a very good season, but this was hardly one of his greats. He had 26 touchdowns, but that was only good for third in the league. He had 16 interceptions, which was his career-high. It's astounding they only lost one game with Montana at QB that season.

Meanwhile, Cunningham had 3,400 yards, 30 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions. He was the leader of the offense with much fewer weapons. He was the driving force for an Eagles team looking to make a statement. The 49ers had weapons for days. While the Eagles' defense was legendary under Buddy Ryan, the offense was making the best of what it had. The top receivers were Keith Byars, rookie Fred Barnett, Keith Jackson, and rookie Calvin Williams.

What pushed Cunningham over the top was his rushing ability. He finished the season with 942 rushing yards and a league leading eight yards per attempt. He added five rushing touchdowns. Cunningham was a weapon unlike any contender had ever seen. He deserved to be the MVP, especially since this wasn't even one of Montana's best seasons.