Church is calling for ex-QB Cunningham
Despite his best efforts, Randall Cunningham just can’t retire from football. A former quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings, he tried walking away from the game twice, dabbling in a variety of activities to fill the void.
“Going golfing and going to the movies, and concerts or boxing matches,” Cunningham said. “It got boring.”
After his second retirement from the NFL, in 2002, Cunningham settled in Las Vegas permanently and became an ordained pastor two years later. With his wife, Felicity, the couple began their own church, Remnant Ministries, where Cunningham gives three services every Sunday to a small live audience and, he estimated, around 4,000 online.
But this past summer, when the Raiders also settled in the city from Oakland, California, football came knocking once again. The team’s head coach, Jon Gruden, had an idea about luring Cunningham back as the Raiders’ chaplain.
“That guy warms my heart,” Gruden said. “He is special. He has a great way of spreading the Lord’s word, he is a great resource and great friend to all of us.”
No other NFL team has as its spiritual adviser a former superstar player, but both men insist that Cunningham, famed for being a progenitor of the modern game’s dual-threat quarterback role, maintains a singular focus.
“I coach them in the spiritual aspects of life, and that’s it,” Cunningham said.
Packers
Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari will miss the rest of the season after the three-time Pro Bowl selection injured his knee in practice Thursday. Packers coach Matt LaFleur confirmed the severity of the injury Friday. The injury comes six weeks after the standout left tackle agreed to terms on a four-year contract worth up to $105.5 million with a $30 million signing bonus.
“It’s just one of those unfortunate, freak things that happens sometimes in practice,” LaFleur said. “It was certainly nobody’s fault. It was a freaky deal, and you know, it’s tough to replace a guy of his caliber. I mean, you’re talking about a premier left tackle in this league.”
Bakhtiari played a major role in helping the Packers (12-3) win a second straight NFC North title and and score a league-leading 31.6 points per game. He was one of seven Packers selected to the Pro Bowl last week.
Saints
New Orleans Saints standout running back Alvin Kamara tested positive for the coronavirus, a person familiar with the result confirmed Friday. Kamara faces an isolation period of at least 10 days under the protocols developed by the NFL and NFL Players Association. That means he will miss the Saints’ regular season finale Sunday at Carolina. His status for the team’s opening playoff game also is in doubt. The Saints announced they had placed Kamara on their covid-19 reserve list. That list is for players who test positive for the coronavirus and those identified through contact tracing..
Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have placed three defensive players on the reserve/COVID-19 list: linebackers Shaq Barrett and Devin White, and lineman Steve McLendon. White tested positive for COVID-19 and Barrett, the Bucs’ top sack threat, is considered a high-risk close contact. All three will miss Sunday’s game against Atlanta. White is likely out for the Bucs’ playoff game next weekend.