Raiders Sacked Randall Cunningham's Role Within Organization

Over the course of 16 seasons, former quarterback Randall Cunningham regularly had NFL defenses praying he'd go easy on them. In retirement, he joined his NFL brethren in prayer, serving as the Raiders' team chaplain. That's a role Cunningham sought to continue, until first-year Raiders coach Josh McDaniels and GM David Ziegler treated Randall as if he were a practice squad candidate unworthy of their attention. “I kept calling and calling and calling, trying to contact the right officials to get the OK on what the direction was with Coach McDaniels, but it just went by, and finally I said, ‘I don’t think I’m needed here anymore,'” Cunningham told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Cunningham, who threw for just under 30,000 yards and 207 touchdowns during his career, is now 59-years-old and an ordained Protestant minister.  He had been the Raiders' team chaplain since the club moved to from Oakland to Sin City in 2020. “He texted me one time and he said, ‘I’m looking forward to you and your involvement here. And I said, ‘Feel free to call anytime.’ And I never received a call back," said Cunningham, referencing his lone conversation with McDaniels. At that point, Cunningham, who played for Philadelphia, Minnesota, Dallas and Baltimore, decided his prayers weren't needed with the Raiders. Cunningham was a star at UNLV in the 1980s. "...I just figured that was kind of like a sign for me it is time for me to move on," Cunningham added.

Though Cunningham's exit with the Raiders will officially be noted as a resignation, the writing was on the wall that his services were no longer deemed necessary, something Cunningham clearly doesn't agree with. “The players really need someone who is going to be like a brother, a father figure," said Cunningham. "Someone they can lean on and talk to outside of the organization, and that’s what we had in Minnesota (where Cunningham played 1997 - 1999) ." Based upon the events that surrounded the Raiders over the last calendar year, they should consider calling an audible and bringing Randall back.  

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