Cade Cunningham claims he could replace $240,000,000 QB on Cowboys, fueling debate on NBA & NFL athletes switching sports

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is having a breakout year this season. While his performance places him at a level where he could be an NBA All-Star, the fourth-year guard is confident that he can excel in other sports beyond the hardwood.

This was revealed when Cunningham sat down for an interview with Funny Marco for a Bleacher Report video. During the interview, Cunningham was asked if he could play football. The Pistons guard said yes, and named the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions as teams he wanted to play for.

Funny Marco continued by saying the Cowboys could use him. Afterward, he asked Cunningham which position he'd play.

"I'll play quarterback," Cunningham responded.

Funny Marco then asked if he is better than the Cowboys' current QB, Dak Prescott.

"Not right now, but two, three months working," Cunningham said. "I always hear them talking like they could come to an NBA court but I think I can get on that field." (2:25-2:34)

In the past year, much has been discussed about NBA and NFL athletes potentially switching sports.

Dak Prescott had a down year this season. After leading the league in touchdown passes last season with 36, he only threw 11 this year. However, it wasn't just because he was struggling. Instead, he was limited to only eight games after undergoing season-ending surgery for an injured hamstring in November.

Prescott is a highly skilled QB who has already made the Pro Bowl three times. Aside from leading the league in TD passes in 2023, he was also named to the second-team All-Pro that same year.

So far, Prescott has racked up 31,437 career passing yards on a completion rate of 66.8%. He has thrown a total of 213 career TDs and 82 interceptions.

His performance thus far led the Cowboys to sign him to a four-year, $240 million extension, making Prescott the highest-paid NFL player.

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Cade Cunningham played football before switching to basketball

Cade Cunningham didn’t just say he could play quarterback because he felt like it. He actually has experience with that position — before he stepped onto the hardwood.

The Detroit Pistons guard was a quarterback for his high school team. However, he switched his focus after watching his older brother play basketball. His experience as a QB hasn’t gone to waste, though, as Cunningham credits it for his court vision.

This season, that vision has served him well as he is putting up a career-high in assists per game. He is averaging 9.4 assists per game, a considerable improvement from the 6.5 he averaged in his first three seasons in the league.

This year, Cade Cunningham is also showcasing that he is a multi-faceted player. He has already recorded a total of seven triple-doubles this year. Prior to the 2024-25 campaign, he had only two, both of which came in his rookie year (2021-22).