Chargers Look Up to Flutie
After 16 seasons of being told he wasn’t tall enough or good enough to be a No. 1 quarterback in the NFL, Doug Flutie landed the San Diego Chargers’ starting job Friday.
Flutie, 38, signed a six-year deal with the Chargers nine days after he lost out to Rob Johnson as the Buffalo Bills’ starter on the same day the Chargers dumped Ryan Leaf after three turbulent years.
In a twist unimaginable until last year, the Chargers chose Flutie, the former Canadian Football League star, over Troy Aikman, the three-time Super Bowl champion who was released by the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday amid salary and injury concerns.
Flutie called the Chargers--1-15 last season--his No. 1 choice.
“A lot of the other teams that I talked to, I was the alternative,” he said. “If this didn’t happen or if that didn’t happen, then we wanted you or you could compete for the job. I’ve been through competing for the job.
“I guess you need someone you believe is going to be the guy, and, for me, it’s a situation I’ve been looking for for 17 years.”
Flutie’s signing is the cap on a series of free-agent moves that are making San Diego “Buffalo West” under new General Manager John Butler, formerly of the Bills.
The Chargers also signed former Buffalo defensive end Marcellus Wiley, an emerging star who had 10 1/2 sacks in his first season as a starter.
Former Dallas cornerback Ryan McNeil and former New Orleans cornerback Alex Molden also signed with the Chargers as they committed to almost $17 million in signing bonuses during the first week of free agency.
Flutie will be expected to be a transitional quarterback, most likely paving the way for Michael Vick, the Virginia Tech quarterback the Chargers are likely to select next month with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.
Though the length of Flutie’s contract was surprising, only the signing bonus is guaranteed in NFL contracts--with Flutie’s reportedly around $3 million of a deal believed to be worth $28-$30 million.
Though he eventually lost the quarterback battle with Johnson, a bigger quarterback who is a decade younger, Flutie was 21-9 as the Bills’ starter.
“We’ve all seen the history of Doug Flutie and watched him perform through the years,” Charger Coach Mike Riley said. “There’s a lot of records and a lot of stuff, but a couple of things I think really stand out and are very obvious. One of them is he’s been a winner all the time.
“The other thing as you talk to people that have played with him and his teammates or guys that have coached him, and he’s just got something about him that makes everybody better.”
Though some question his abilities as a mentor given his conflict with Johnson, Flutie seemed like the best fit available for the Chargers.
The team also considered Aikman but already had made an offer to Flutie, and Aikman’s history of concussions and back problems make him a risk.
Flutie, who turns 39 in October, finally has a No. 1 job to himself, 16 years after he was drafted in the 11th round by the Los Angeles Rams after winning the Heisman Trophy at Boston College.
Remembered in college for the “Hail Mary” pass that beat Miami, the 5-foot-10 quarterback began his professional career with the New Jersey Generals in the old USFL. He later was the most outstanding player of the CFL six times, leading his teams to three Grey Cup championships.
“Ever since college, [Coach] Jack Bicknell said a guy who’s 6-3 or 6-4 has to go out and prove he can’t play,” Flutie said.
Flutie knows he has to prove he can every day.
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Aikman’s agent, Leigh Steinberg, said he had “a preliminary discussion” with the Kansas City Chiefs. . . . New York Jet quarterback Ray Lucas signed an offer sheet with the Miami Dolphins. The Jets have a week to match it. . . . The Seattle Seahawks signed Chad Eaton, a starting defensive tackle for the New England Patriots. . . . James Thrash, who led the Washington Redskins in receiving last season, agreed to a five-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Flutie in NFL
NFL statistics for quarterback Doug Flutie, who signed with the San Diego Chargers on Friday. Flutie also played one season with the New Jersey Generals in the USFL and eight seasons with three teams (British Columbia, Calgary and Toronto) in the CFL:
REGULAR SEASON
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YEAR TEAM ATT CMP YDS TD INT 1986 Chi 46 23 361 3 2 1987 Chi-NE 25 15 199 1 0 1988 NE 179 92 1,150 8 10 1989 NE 91 36 493 2 4 1998 Buf 354 202 2,711 20 11 1999 Buf 478 264 3,171 19 16 2000 Buf 231 132 1,700 8 3 Totals 1,514 798 9,785 61 46
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PLAYOFFS
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YEAR TEAM ATT CMP YDS TD INT 1986 Chi 31 11 134 1 2 1998 Buf 36 21 360 1 1 Totals 67 32 494 2 3
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