With Vikings quarterback Brett Favre having a self-described “broke foot,” coach Brad Childress reportedly is pondering breaking Brett’s streak of 291 straight starts.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that Childress is leaning toward going with Tarvaris Jackson instead of Favre.
Per the Star-Tribune, NFL Network reported on Thursday night that Favre has “confided” in some close to him that Childress won’t let Favre play.
We’ve got a theory on the situation, which we developed last night while writing up this week’s Friday 10-pack. So we’ll defer to the 10-pack, which will be up by 8:30 a.m. ET or so.
Meanwhile, Favre reportedly was fitted with a size 15 shoe, which would allow him to wear some type of protection on his foot and still play. (He usually wears a 14, and we already know what some of the reader comments will be.)
Favre hasn’t ruled out practicing on Friday. I wouldn’t put anything past me to be honest with you,” Favre said. (And we already know what some of the reader comments will be.)
Jackson, who has taken the first-team reps in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, isn’t convinced that Brett won’t play. But Jackson nevertheless wants to be ready.
“By Brett being older -- even though he’s started 291 games straight -- you kind of want to make sure you’re ready just in case,” Jackson said. “He’s said it before, your body is going to give [out] some time. I’m just going to make sure I’m prepared and ready.”
Jackson will have to be prepared and ready right up until game time, because he likely won’t know for sure that he’s playing until then, at the earliest. And he likely won’t believe it until he’s on the field. On Sunday night, after Brett did the John Wayne hobble and sat down on the bench with an ankle injury that would have kept 99.9 percent of quarterbacks from returning on the next drive, NBC cameras showed Jackson already sitting on the bench, with a ball cap on his head.
Jackson didn’t get up to warm up or get loose. His decision to stay put meant that he knew that there was no way Favre wouldn’t keep playing. And those same thoughts likely will remain in Jackson’s mind until Sunday.