Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Randall Cunningham has picked up a job in the AFC.
In terms of the most exciting seasons in Minnesota Vikings history, the 1998 campaign will always be near the top. Even though they didn’t make it to the Super Bowl, the 1998 Vikings squad is viewed by some as the team who was arguably the closest to capturing the franchise’s first-ever championship.
Randall Cunningham was the quarterback for Minnesota in 1998 and he had a magical season himself. Cunningham filled in for an injured Brad Johnson early in the year and he ended up putting up some of the best numbers of his NFL career.
In 15 games with the Vikings that season, the veteran quarterback threw for 3,704 yards, 34 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions. Prior to 1998, Cunningham had never tossed more than 30 touchdowns in a single season.
The former Minnesota Vikings quarterback is back in the NFL
Cunningham last played in the league back in 2001 and since then, he’s been residing in Las Vegas, Nevada. On Friday, it was revealed that the former Minnesota passer has landed a job with the NFL team who recently moved to Las Vegas.
That’s right, Cunningham will now be suiting up in the silver and black. Well, not exactly, but the Las Vegas Raiders have hired the former Vikings quarterback to be the team’s chaplain.
Following his retirement from the league, Cunningham became an ordained minister in 2004 and he is currently the pastor of his own church, Remnant Ministries.
Joining the Raiders reunites the quarterback with Jon Gruden, who worked on the Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff when Cunningham was with the team in 1995. Knowing that the former signal-caller was well respected around the Las Vegas community, Gruden decided to ask him to take over the duties as the team’s chaplain.
After the Eagles picked him in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft, Cunningham ended up developing into one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the league to watch. He could throw the ball deep or tuck it and run past defenders like he was an All-Pro running back.
Cunningham ended his NFL career with 4,928 rushing yards. After retiring in 2002, his career rushing yards total was the most ever accumulated by a quarterback in the league until Michael Vick surpassed his mark in 2011 as a member of the Eagles.