5 best backup quarterbacks in Dallas Cowboys history

The Dallas Cowboys have been fortunate to have several franchise quarterbacks who guided them for a decade or more. But while players such as Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman were the leaders, there were definitely times they had to ask the backup to fill in.

Here, we pay homage to those QB2s that were able to answer the call by ranking the five greatest Cowboys backup quarterbacks in team history.

Note: Players such as Vinny Testaverde weren't included simply since he spent 15 of his 16 games with the team as a starter following the release of Quincy Carter. Another is Tony Romo, who was a backup but then became the starter for the majority of his career.

5. Randall Cunningham (2000)

For 11 years, Randall Cunningham was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, making him a huge rival for the Cowboys. He had a lot of success for them as well, going 63-43-1 as the starter while proving to be one of the more exciting dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL.

Cunningham retired following the 1995 campaign but then decided to return in 1996 with the Minnesota Vikings. He had a resurgence as he went 13-1 in his second season with Minnesota and threw 34 touchdown passes.

After three years with the Vikings, he signed with Dallas as the backup to Troy Aikman. He spent just one season with the Cowboys but was asked to start three games that year.

Dallas was just 1-2 in his starts but Cunningham was impressive with six touchdown passes and 849 yards and added another touchdown on the ground. The roster in 2000 wasn't overly impressive but Cunningham gave them a chance when he was called upon.