Childress Visits Favre: Decision Time?
With the way things are going, you’d think ESPN will soon air a one-hour special in which Brett Favre will decide whether he’ll rejoin the Vikings for another season. All signs point to him returning, but still Minnesota fans are still sitting on their hands as they wait to see what kind of team they’ll have this year.
Head coach Brad Childress recently visited Brett Favre at his home in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and it wasn’t for a cup of tea although that may have had a part in the visit.
We all know the reason why Childress headed down to Mississippi. It can only mean one thing: Childress is looking for the same answer that the NFL is looking for. Fans are anticipating a return, but some may sleep better if they receive a straight answer.
When asked why he was in town, Childress said: "You can fill in the blanks."
Childress and Favre were seen together at the University of Southern Mississippi's 7-on-7 passing camp for high school players. Favre has been throwing passes to Oak Grove High School football players while he recovers from offseason ankle surgery.
Childress did the same thing last year when he convinced Favre to come out of retirement and join the Minnesota Vikings, which is what Favre originally wanted to do when he retired the first time.
The longtime Packer returned for a 19th season as a Viking and enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career, throwing a career-low in interceptions and led the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game, before losing in a heartbreaker to the eventual Super Bowl Champs the Saints.
Favre’s last pass of the game was a late interception in the 4th quarter on an ill-advised throw when it appeared the Vikings were on the way to kicking a game-winning field goal. Favre and the offence never saw the ball again s New Orleans won the coin toss in overtime and kicked the game winning field goal on their first possession.
Once again this year, Favre has given fans an ongoing soap opera of whether or not he’ll come back. However if it’s gone on this long, how can he not come back?
Favre has said that his decision of whether or not he’ll come back has nothing to do with his ankle surgery or his health in general.
"Playing another year probably isn't going to make a difference," Favre told the magazine. "The damage has already been done."
At the ESPYs, Favre said his surgically repaired left ankle is still healing.
"I still have a little bit of time and still believe it or not [I'm] not completely healthy," Favre said. "I guess at 40 I may never be. I'm not getting any younger, but I am working hard trying to feel as best I can. Last year, I felt great. My arm was totally different than it was the year before and that made my decision a little bit easier. But we'll see."
Favre added that any comeback thought "starts with the ankle," but he called the Vikings "a great football team" that he admired.
The Vikings will soon open training camp and while it doesn’t look like Favre will join them right away, he may do the same thing as last year and join the team late in training camp or just before the regular season.
At this point that would be the best thing for Favre as the extra rest will do him well. The Vikings did not draft a quarterback this year, leaving the door open for Favre to come back. If Favre doesn’t then Tavaris Jackson will take over as the starter.
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