Lamar Jackson, widely considered the greatest running quarterback in NFL history, has passed the quarterback who had previously held that title in the league record book.
The Ravens quarterback passed Randall Cunningham for fourth all time in career rushing yards by quarterbacks during Thursday night’s game against the Bengals. Jackson entered the game with 4,918 career rushing yards, 10 behind the amount Cunningham gained during his decorated career.
A standout at UNLV, Cunningham was the Eagles‘ second-round pick in the 1985 NFL Draft. After being a backup for two seasons, Cunningham became Philadelphia’s full-time starter in 1987. What quickly followed was three consecutive Pro Bowl selections as Cunningham helped the Eagles reach the NFC’s upper echelon.
Cunningham then enjoyed a career resurgence in Minnesota while leading one of the most explosive offenses in league history. He retired after the 2001 season with nearly 30,000 passing yards and 207 touchdown passes. He also rushed for nearly 5,000 yards and 35 touchdowns while averaging a whopping 6.4 yards per carry. Cunningham also posted an impressive 82-52-1 regular-season record as a starting quarterback.
Cunningham’s 942 rushing yards during the 1990 season stood as the NFL’s single-season record for a quarterback until Michael Vick broke it in 2006. Jackson broke Vick’s record in 2019 after rushing for 1,206 yards.
Cunningham’s 8.0 yards per carry average that season was the second-best single-season total in NFL history and the best average since 1934. Vick tied Beattie Feathers’ record when he averaged 8.4 yards per carry in 2006.
Speaking of Vick, the former Falcons standout still holds the record for most career rushing yards by a quarterback with 6,109 yards. Cam Newton is runner-up with 5,628 yards, while Russell Wilson is third all time with 5,197 yards and counting.
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Author: Bryan DeArdo
November 16, 2023 | 9:40 pm
