In a lengthy and at times rambling press conference held at the Vikings’ facility on Wednesday, quarterback Brett Favre said that 2010 will be his final season of professional football.
Most of you will believe it when you see it.
One man who already believes it is coach Brad Childress, who claimed in remarks after Favre spoke that the Vikings coach believes Favre will make his 20th NFL season his last, in part because Childress thinks Favre likes to operate in round numbers.
Favre will embark on his 20th season with a surgically-repaired ankle. He said he needed the procedure three years ago, and that last week’s visit with Dr. Andrews revealed the development of a new bone spur.
He said that surgery hasn’t made the ankle feel nearly as good as surgery on his biceps tendon made him feel last year. So it sounds like the ankle could continue to be an issue. (In other words, X marks the spot.)
Favre acknowledged the pressure of trying to duplicate his performance and the team’s achievements in 2009, and he said that the visit from kicker Ryan Longwell, guard Steve Hutchinson, and defensive end Jared Allen (whom Childress described as “good cop, bad cop, funny cop”) persuaded him to give it another try.
As to the clandestine trip to Mississippi, Childress apologized for instructing special-team coordinator Brian Murphy and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell to lie about the whereabouts of the three players. The decision not to tell the truth in this regard continues to strike us as odd, and it confirms our belief that, on many occasions, NFL coaches and teams and players tell something other than the truth.
One thing we do believe is that Favre likely will play on Sunday night in San Francisco, when the Vikings face the 49ers in a preseason game. He says he wants to play, and Childress says he wants to play.