Unitas Wonders Why Chargers Bought Him

SAN DIEGO -- John Unitas said Thursday he still doesn't understand why the San Diego Chargers acquired him. "It doesn't make sense to me that they brought me here to sit on the bench," Unitas said. "My understanding was that they brought me out here to play football." The 40-year-old quarterback, pro football's all-time leading passer, was purchased by the Chargers for $150,000 this year from the Baltimore Colts, where he had spent 17 seasons. He signed a two-year contract reportedly worth close to $500,000.

But Unitas, victim of a youth movement in Baltimore, ran into the same situation here. With the Chargers playing poorly and generating little offense, coach Harland Svare replaced Unitas with rookie Dan Fouts during the fourth game of the season. Except for a brief appearance in the eighth game, when he injured a shoulder, Unitas hasn't played since. He said the shoulder is fine now, but he doesn't expect to play in the final game at Kansas City Sunday.

When Svare stepped down as coach, he said he had hoped Unitas would lead a ball-control attack, but had to bench him when the Chargers failed to run effectively. "No one ever said that to me," Unitas said. "But they're calling the shots, not me. I'll do what they want me to do." That goes for sitting on the bench next season if asked. "I have a contract to fulfill," he said.

[source: ap]