The talk in Minnesota has just begun. Will 40-year-old Brett Favre return to the Minnesota Vikings in 2010 for a 20th NFL season or will he call it a career?
Before Sunday’s game with the New Orleans Saints, Favre told broadcaster Pam Oliver that he’d “probably decided” what he was going to do next season, but wouldn’t say anything publicly.
Yesterday, the Vikings came together at their Eden Prairie, Minn., practice facility and had a final team meeting with head coach Brad Childress and the rest of the staff.
Favre didn’t attend the meeting on Monday. His teammates told him on Sunday to go home to Hattiesburg, Miss., and take all the time he needs to decide what he’ll do about his future.
The media outside Minnesota believes he’ll likely retire, but those close to the Vikings feel he just might return. He said after Sunday’s 31-28 overtime loss to New Orleans that he wanted to go out on top. Considering his final pass was an interception, he certainly didn’t go out on top. As well, he has a second year on a $25 million two-year contract with the Vikings that’s worth $13 million.
If Favre decides to retire, the Vikings do have options at quarterback. They already have contracts with Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels although neither of those quarterbacks seemed like a good idea this year. They could go after Michael Vick or Donovan McNabb, depending on what Philadelphia coach Andy Reid decides to do next season, or perhaps they could coax a trade for Seattle’s Matt Hasselbeck (new head coach Pete Carroll has not decided what he wants to do at the quarterback position). The Vikings could also use the 30th pick in the NFL draft and hope Tim Tebow or even Colt McCoy is available, although all signs suggest the Vikings are going to try to draft a big defensive lineman with their first pick.
Whatever Favre decides to do, the Vikings brass would like him to make the decision BEFORE the NFL draft.
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