Brett Favre has two fractures in left ankle, Vikings coach says

Brett Favre's streak of 291 straight starts -- an NFL record for quarterbacks -- appears to be in danger of coming to an end.

Minnesota Vikings Coach Brad Childress said Monday the quarterback has two fractures -- an avulsion fracture and a stress fracture -- in his left ankle. According to the coach, Favre is wearing a walking boot but will not require surgery.

The injury was revealed in an MRI exam after Minnesota's loss to Favre's former team, the Green Bay Packers, on Sunday night. Favre appeared to hurt his ankle when he was hit on one of his three interceptions in the game.

Childress said Favre's streak would not be a factor in deciding whether the quarterback will play Sunday at New England.

-- Chuck Schilken

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Brett Favre after an incomplete pass Sunday night. Credit: Jeffrey Phelps / Associated Press

Brett Favre says he might miss games if tendinitis in elbow gets worse

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre continued to dodge questions Wednesday about the NFL's investigation into allegations that he made sexual advances to a female co-worker in 2008 while with the New York Jets.

But Favre did make one comment that might be considered something of a bombshell. He said he actually would consider sitting out a game or two at some point this season if the tendinitis in his right elbow worsened.

"I don't want to play just to play," said Favre, who has started an NFL-record 289 straight games.

The Vikings face the Dallas Cowboys this weekend in a battle of two preseason favorites that are off to 1-3 starts.

-- Chuck Schilken

Photo: Brett Favre. Credit: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images

Question of the day: Has the NFL overstepped its bounds by investigating Brett Favre’s alleged indiscretions? [Updated]

Writers from around Tribune Co. weigh in concerning recent allegations against NFL quarterback Brett Favre during his time with the New York Jets. Check back throughout the day for more responses and feel free to leave a comment of your own.

Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times

Is the NFL overstepping its bounds by looking into the accusations against Favre? Of course not. It’s something that allegedly happened in the workplace, when both Favre and Jenn Sterger were employed by the Jets. It’s just as if it happened between two cubicles in an office.

Commissioner Roger Goodell has shown in the past that he’s serious about enforcing the personal-conduct policy, regardless of who the player or league employee is, so it will be interesting to watch how this unfolds. If the investigation were to drag on through the season, a suspension probably wouldn’t be applicable because this is almost certainly Favre’s last year. But the potential damage to his personal life is obvious, and of course this could affect his marketability.

[Updated at 9:23 a.m.:

Dave Hyde, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Employee A allegedly leaves lurid voicemails and sends a picture of his penis to Employee B. What company in America would not have to investigate such an incident? What corporate lawyer wouldn’t demand it?

What if there's an Employee C and D out there waiting to file a valid claim of sexual harassment?

If you're Don Draper living in the 1960s, this is part of corporate life. But this is 2010, and it doesn't matter if it's an NFL quarterback or a company vice president.

Of course the NFL has to investigate Brett Favre. Of course it's incumbent on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to get to the bottom of this.

Favre might throw the football really well. He still has to play by some of the rules everyone else does.]

Poll: Will this really be Brett Favre's final NFL season?

Brett Favre finally announced his return to the NFL for the 2010 season. So glad all the speculation is over -- thank goodness we'll never have to go through that again.

Why are you laughing? We all heard him say, "After this year, I'm done," didn't we?

You don't believe him? Well, you're probably not alone. But there's got to be someone out there who thinks Favre really has made up his mind for good this time.

Right?

What do you think? Vote, then leave a comment letting us know why you voted the way you did.

-- Chuck Schilken

Brett Favre will return to Vikings for his 20th NFL season

Brett Favre officially announced his return to the Minnesota Vikings for the 2010 season, his 20th as a professional in the NFL.

Favre has been on the brink of retirement for several years, but has chosen to return to Minnesota a season after leading the team to an overtime loss in the NFC Championship game against the New Orleans Saints. It was initially reported that he was set to finally call it a career, but eventually decided to give it another go.

"It was very tough, obviously. I can make a case for both playing/not playing," Favre said at Wednesday's press conference. "It was really about the team. Believe me, when I left New Orleans, a big part of me was -- I don't want to say done, but the fact that we lost that game -- it's hard to make people understand."

In each of the last two off-seasons, a major injury nearly forced Favre to retire. After 2008 with the New York Jets, Favre needed surgery on the biceps of his throwing arm, but came back to throw for 4,202 yards with 33 touchdowns for the Vikings last season. He needed surgery to remove scar tissue and bone spurs in his ankle this off-season, and, although the surgery wasn't as successful, he decided he was healthy enough to play.

"I needed surgery three years ago on my ankle. It's a chronic ankle," Favre said. "I had a visit with Dr. [James] Andrews last Thursday. Surprisingly, a new spur had already surfaced in the new X-ray. Fact is, it's just something I have to deal with. There is a little bit more range of motion since the surgery, but we're not talking about a lot."

Favre practiced for the first time on Wednesday and said he hopes to play in Minnesota's next pre-season game against San Francisco on Sunday.

"I would like to [play Sunday]. I took a lot of reps today," Favre said. "I'm not real excited about getting hit anytime soon, but that's part of it. I think there's no substitute for calling plays in the huddle in a real game environment, and the only way I'm going to get the speed of the game down is being in games."

Additionally, the chance to win was something Favre couldn't pass up.

"The expectations are high here, as they should be," Favre said. "From my standpoint, I can't make any guarantees. I'm going to do everything I can. Whatever it takes for us to win. The bottom line -- I'm not here to set any records -- I've done it all, there's nothing left to prove. So, once again, it's really about these guys.

"I don't want to fail. I'm just being honest."

He also added that this year, the last of his contract, will be the final year of his professional career.

"After this year, I'm done. This is the last year of my contract," Favre said. "It was obviously a tough decision to come back. I can't say I'm going to do anything different than I did last year. I'd love to think that I'll play better. I'll do everything I can to help this team win."

The longtime Packers great who holds the NFL record for touchdown passes with 497, Favre has been the lone mainstay at signal-caller over the last 1-1/2 decades. Since the 1993 season, Favre has been quarterback for all 16 games every year, leading his teams to 10 seasons of 10 wins or more, including a Super Bowl title with Green Bay in 1996. Including playoffs, Favre has started 309 consecutive games, by far a record.

In what has surely been a Hall of Fame career up to this point, Favre has a 181-104 regular season record as a starter. The 181 wins are an NFL record, as are his 69,329 regular season passing yards and 5,855 playoff passing yards.

-- Sports Network

Photo: Brett Favre works out at Winter Park, the Vikings' practice facility in Eden Prairie on Wednesday. Credit: Eric Miller / Reuters

Brett Favre will practice with Vikings, then hold press conference Wednesday

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre will practice with the team Wednesday and speak at a press conference afterward, according to the Vikings' website.

Coach Brad Childress is also expected to address the media after practice, which is to begin at 9:40 PDT and is expected to last around two hours.

After contemplating retirement once again this off-season and missing much of training camp, Favre flew to Minnesota on Tuesday aboard a private jet, along with three Vikings teammates dispatched to Hattiesburg, Miss., to plead for his return.

More later at latimes.com/sports.

-- Chuck Schilken

Photo: Brett Favre arrives at Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, on Tuesday. Credit: David Joles / Minneapolis Star Tribune / MCT

Brett Favre reportedly will return to the Vikings [Updated]

Brett Favre will join the Minnesota Vikings for a 20th NFL season, according to a Biloxi (Miss.) Sun-Herald report citing a "highly placed source."

Favre and his wife, Deanna, are reportedly on their way back to Minnesota. The source said Favre is expected in Vikings camp.

In addition, this message appears on officialbrettfavre.com: "Thank you for visiting Brett Favre's website. We are awaiting a statement soon from the Vikings. As soon as this is available we will pass it along."

Earlier Tuesday, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that kicker Ryan Longwell, guard Steve Hutchinson and defensive end Jared Allen were all absent from the Vikings' morning practice and were en route to Hattiesburg, Miss., for a visit with Favre.

[Updated at 1:40 p.m.: According to ESPN.com, WDAM-TV in Hattiesburg reported that Favre departed on a plane bound for Minnesota at 2:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday. And FoxSports.com is reporting that Favre told Longwell, Hutchinson and Allen that he would be returning for another season.]

-- Chuck Schilken

Photo: Brett Favre in January. Credit: Tom Olmscheid / Reuters

Brett Favre's agent, offensive coordinator say quarterback will play if healthy [Updated]

It seems that talk of Brett Favre's retirement from the NFL could possibly be premature ... yet again.

Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell --  a close friend of Favre's -- and Favre's agent, Bus Cook, both said Wednesday that the Vikings quarterback will play this season if his surgically repaired left ankle will allow it.

Speaking after practice in Mankato, Minn., Bevell said he has talked with Favre recently, but not in the last 24 hours, and his understanding all along has been that Favre will play if his ankle heals well enough.

Cook said basically the same thing -- that Favre will play if healthy enough and added that the quarterback will visit his surgeon next week.

Also on Wednesday, the day after reportedly texting Minnesota Vikings teammates to let them know he's retiring after 19 NFL seasons, Favre was seen on the practice field at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Miss., where he has worked out informally with the young players for several years in preparation for the next season.

Favre told reporters he's been in touch with the Vikings and “they know what's going on with me.” He also said his decision is “not about the money.”

[Updated at 11:23 p.m.:

While attempting to leave the high school practice Wednesday, Favre told reporters he had not decided whether he would play this season and denied sending text messages to teammates saying he would not return, according to multiple sources.

Favre said the health of his ankle would determine if he is able to return, according to ESPN.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune is also reporting that the Vikings are willing to offer Favre a pay increase -- from $13 million to $16 million with another $4 million available in incentives -- to continue playing.]

-- Chuck Schilken

Photo: Brett Favre. Credit: Tom Olmscheid / Reuters

Brett Favre throws football at high school practice

A day after reportedly texting Minnesota Vikings teammates to let them know he's retiring after 19 NFL seasons, Brett Favre was seen on the practice field.

Not with the Vikings at training camp in Mankato, Minn., but at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Miss., where he has worked out informally with the young players for several years in preparation for the upcoming season.

It could mean nothing. Favre, who did not speak to reporters before taking the field, reportedly did not appear to be working out Wednesday morning, just tossing the ball lightly with players during warm-ups and helping with drills.

Still, is this what most people do the day after they retire? And with Favre's history of indecisiveness when it comes to retirement,  maybe it is a glimmer of hope for Vikings fans.

Plus, it's not like everyone was buying this whole retirement thing anyway.

“I'm not a big hearsay person,” Vikings Coach Brad Childress told reporters Tuesday. “I gotta hear it from the horse's mouth.”

Vikings defensive end Jared Allen said: "Until it's official, I'll believe it when I see it.”

-- Chuck Schilken

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Brett Favre passes to an Oak Grove High School football player during practice Wednesday. Credit: Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press

A Brett Favre update, just in case you were wondering ...

Now that LeBron Watch 2010 is finally over, is it time to turn our attention back to our other favorite national obsession ... Brett Favre?

If I had tiny bits of information -- such as, he's been passing to young receivers at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Miss., for a few weeks and that he reportedly is moving around well after having arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle in May -- would you care?

Is it too soon to start wondering whether the 40-year-old quarterback is returning for a 20th NFL season, even if Minnesota Vikings teammates such as Tarvaris Jackson are saying things like, "He ain't working out for no reason?"

Just wondering ...

-- Chuck Schilken
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Brett Favre throws a few passes to members of the Oak Grove High School football team Monday. Credit: Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press

New kind of NFL profiles, Vizio-style

There's a new source for pro football profiles in case you're interested in more than your favorite stars' Twitter conversations.

It's called Vizio's Pro Football Profiles. It will be hosted by Laura Okmin. It debuts tonight at 11 p.m. on a Fox Sports Net regional network near you. Each episode is 30 minutes and is supposed to introduce viewers to the non-football side of a player. The first profile is of Green Bay Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He will talk about his passion for guitar, about a record label and probably not a lot about what he thinks about Brett Favre.

The shows will also be available on vizio.com. Here's a link to the trailer

Besides Rogers, other episodes will feature Adrian Peterson, Brian Urlacher, Larry Fitzgerald and LaDainian Tomlinson.

-- Diane Pucin