Bears’ Acquisition of Rights to Flutie Adds an Insult to McMahon’s Injury

Backup Steve Fuller will start at quarterback for the Chicago Bears Sunday at Minnesota in place of injured and angry Jim McMahon, Coach Mike Ditka announced Thursday after practice.

McMahon suffered a mild separation of his right shoulder in the opening game against Cleveland Sept. 7. He missed the next two games but, despite constant pain in the throwing shoulder, started the last three for the Super Bowl champions.

McMahon and many of his teammates were still growling Thursday over the team’s acquisition of quarterback Doug Flutie, the 1984 Heisman Trophy winner out of Boston College.

“Where’s the loyalty?” said McMahon, blasting Ditka and team management for acquiring the rights to Flutie from the Rams Tuesday, moments before the trading deadline.

McMahon even poked fun at the situation by wearing a red jersey with No. 22 on it. Flutie’s Boston College number was 22.

“I ignored it,” Ditka said of the jersey.

But Ditka, who preaches loyalty to the team, fired this salvo at his grumbling players: “I frankly don’t give a damn. Players don’t run the ballclub. They play football.”