Ravens: 6 legends who made forgotten stops in Baltimore

2. Randall Cunningham, QB, Ravens (2001)

Until the coming of Joe Flacco, the first decade of the Ravens’ existence was a never-ending quarterback carousel. Not even a Super Bowl victory could stop it from turning as Trent Dilfer found himself out of a job despite a decent performance against the Giants in Tampa.

While Elvis Grbac was ultimately saddled with the responsibility of (unsuccessfully) defending the Ravens’ crown, he wasn’t the only option they considered in 2001.

During the offseason, the Ravens also signed 38-year-old free agent Randall Cunningham, reuniting him with head coach Brian Billick.

Three years earlier, Cunningham was the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, where Billick served as offensive coordinator.

Together, the two created one of the most electrifying offenses in NFL history, one that scored a then-record 556 points in the regular season.

In heartbreaking fashion, the Vikings lost that year’s NFC Championship Game to Atlanta in overtime, but their success that season catapulted Billick to the Ravens’ head coaching job.

2001 would be Cunningham’s last year in the NFL. He started — and won — two games in place of Grbac, both nail-biting finishes in the middle of the season. Overall, he threw for 573 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in his five appearances.