Is it going to be The Canadian Football League or The Giants for Flutie

Doug Flutie is old enough to be Eli Manning's father, but the Giants are strongly considering Flutie as Manning's backup.The 42-year-old veteran of 11 NFL seasons, eight CFL seasons and one USFL season visited Giants Stadium yesterday for a physical and could sign to replace Jim Miller, who signed as a free agent March 9.


The stunning development is believed to reflect the Giants' concern about Miller's health. Miller, 34, has had shoulder problems in the recent past. He was the Patriots' No. 3 quarterback last season and did not throw a pass.Miller was not present yesterday when Manning, 24, Jesse Palmer and Jared Lorenzen threw to Jeremy Shockey and others at the stadium. Cutting Miller would have minimal salary-cap impact; he got only a $25,000 bonus for signing. The Giants lauded Miller as a perfect backup because he had no designs on the starting job.Unlike Manning's father, .Archie, who fell short of winning a Heisman Trophy, Flutie won one at Boston College in 1984. Giants coach Tom Coughlin was Flutie's quarterbacks coach at BC from 1981-83.Flutie has played for the New Jersey Generals of the USFL, the Bears, Patriots, Bills and Chargers of the NFL and the CFL's British Columbia Lions, Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts.Last season, Flutie played two games for the Chargers, completing 20 of 38 passes for 276 yards and a TD. San Diego cut him March 11, and he was considering a career in broadcasting and an offer to play for the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats with his brother Darren, a wide receiver.If the Giants were to sign Flutie, Palmer presumably would .compete with him for the .primary backup job.