"It's a great move for everybody involved," said Cunningham on Thursday morning, shortly after faxing back to Dallas officials the three-year contract to which the sides agreed Wednesday night. "For me, it's an opportunity to play for a team and owner I've always admired, and behind a guy (Troy Aikman) for whom I've had a ton of respect. And I think it gives the Cowboys a pretty nice comfort level now behind Troy, someone they know can win them a game or two if he has to."

The contract will pay Cunningham, who serves as his own agent, a $500,000 signing bonus and a base salary of $500,000 for the 2000 season. While details beyond that were not yet available, the contract likely is structured as are most deals Dallas negotiates with free agents. That means the base salary for 2001 probably increases dramatically, which will force the team to either release Cunningham or renegotiate the contract.

In essence, then, it becomes a one-year deal. The salary cap figure for 2000 is $667,000.

A 14-year veteran and the NFL's leading passer in 1998, Cunningham was cut by the Minnesota Vikings last Friday after he repeatedly declined to reduce his salary of $4.25 million for the 2000 season. It originally appeared Cunningham was headed to Tampa Bay, to serve as the backup for second-year veteran Shaun King, but then Jones intervened.

Already in Las Vegas for a planned getaway with his staff, Jones took advantage of being close to Cunningham's home in nearby Henderson, Nev., to meet with him Saturday. That same day, the quarterback also met with offensive coordinator Jack Reilly and consultant Ernie Zampese. By Monday night, the Cowboys had made an offer.

Cunningham also was pursued by Detroit the past few days, Lions coach Bobby Ross calling him after starting quarterback Charlie Batch was lost for at least three months with a fractured right leg.

Neither the Buccaneers, who wanted to wait until next week to make a formal pitch, nor Detroit seemed to be offering a financial package as good as the one from the Cowboys. It's believed the Bucs wanted Cunningham for the minimum base salary of $440,000 plus incentives. The contract with the Cowboys includes a bonus package that could earn Cunningham between $500,000 and $1 million in additional revenues if Aikman is injured and he becomes the starter.

Only three times in his 11 seasons has Aikman started all 16 regular-season games.

"We feel very confident to have a player with (Cunningham's) talents as our backup," Jones said in a statement released by the team. Said Reilly: "He'll fit in well with what we do."

Despite starting 130 games in his career, Cunningham insisted he will have no problem settling into his new role as a backup, a status with which he finished the '99 season.

Randall Cunningham says he knows his role will be to backup Troy Aikman's Cowboys.(AP)

"Everybody knows that is Troy's team," he said. "I know exactly what I'm being signed to do and there's no way I'm going to make a fuss about that. Troy's never going to have to look over his shoulder and worry about me. But I think I am a pretty nice insurance policy if anything does ever happen (to Aikman). And I think we'll have a good time working together."

Only two years ago, Cunningham was the toast of the league, having resurrected his career with the Vikings in 1998. Early that season, he replaced injured starter Brad Johnson and went on to lead the league in passing. He started the first six games of the '99 campaign but, with the offense struggling and the Vikings mired at 2-4, lost the No. 1 job to Jeff George.

Cunningham entered the league as a second-round choice of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1985 draft. He played 11 seasons in Philadelphia before becoming a free agent, then sat out the entire '96 season before signing with Minnesota in 1997.

In 149 appearances, he completed 2,301 of 4,075 passes for 28,557 yards, with 198 touchdowns, 128 interceptions and a passer rating of 81.4. Cunningham has played in four Pro Bowl games.