MINNEAPOLIS -- Former Green Bay Packers great Brett Favre is staying retired, according to a Minneapolis newspaper report.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune is reporting that Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress called a writer at the newspaper and said that he was informed Favre wasn't returning to the NFL.

The quarterback apparently called Childress on Tuesday to tell him that he will not play for the team this season.

Favre had been mulling over joining the Vikings for months. He underwent shoulder surgery in the off-season, but according to media reports, he was concerned that he wouldn't be able to play for the entire season.

According to the Star Tribune, the Vikings don't have any hard feelings.

"I just think it was a rare opportunity to explore a Hall of Fame quarterback who had background in the NFC and in this division," Childress said. "He knows our system inside out. This doesn't change anything about how I feel about our football team."

Favre did not immediately offer a comment from Hattiesburg, Miss., where he worked out with high school players this summer in a bid to keep in shape for a potential return to the NFL. His agent, Bus Cook, did not immediately return a call.

The decision is a stunning blow for the Vikings, who openly courted Favre all summer. Adding Favre would have been viewed by many as the final piece for a team that already has star running back Adrian Peterson and a stingy veteran defense that returns nearly intact from last year's NFC North championship season.

Favre came out of retirement last year to play for the New York Jets. He retired again, had surgery in May to alleviate a torn biceps tendon and then openly flirted with the idea of coming back again with the Vikings, the Packers' NFC North rival.

"When I heard the news, I was probably as surprised and shocked as everybody else," linebacker Ben Leber told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "The writing on the wall was as long as his arm was healthy he was going to play. I thought it was just a contractual deal that was taking so long and I really expected him to be at camp. So I was really surprised."

After two months of rehab, Favre told Childress he didn't think he had enough in him to get through a full season.

Now Childress has some damage control to do with Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, the two veterans who were expected to compete for the job before the Favre drama began for a second straight year.

Jackson and Rosenfels were peppered with questions about Favre during the team's minicamps this summer. It was a testy situation already for them to deal with, and now they will likely face a whole new set of inquiries with the job up for grabs all over again.

Jackson's agent, Joel Segal, said he spoke to his client shortly after the news broke.

"He was his usual cool, calm and collected self," Segal said. "He said, 'Great, let's get ready for camp.'"

Favre holds almost every NFL career passing record that matters, including touchdown passes (464), completions (5,720), yards passing (65,127), regular-season victories (169) and interceptions (310). Many thought he would help the Vikings land that elusive Super Bowl championship, even if he was reviled by fans here during his incredible 16-year run across the state line in Wisconsin.

Favre instead passed on a chance for revenge on GM Ted Thompson and the Packers, whom he felt gave up on him too soon when deciding to move forward last summer with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He was sent instead to the Jets, where he appeared rejuvenated early in the season before arm problems arose. He threw nine interceptions in the final five weeks and the Jets finished the year 1-4 to miss the playoffs.

Vikings players will begin arriving in Mankato for training camp on Wednesday, with a mandatory reporting day of Thursday and the first practice on Friday.

Childress has said he believes the Vikings will be good with or without Favre.

"As we have consistently communicated, we feel good about our team and they have put forth a tremendous effort this offseason preparing for the season ahead," he said. "With this behind us, we look forward to getting to Mankato and getting training camp under way."

Of course, this is Favre, which means there always could be the possibility that he will change his mind. As far as Leber is concerned, there's no turning back now.

"In my mind this should be the end of it," he said. "To be respectful of the players that are involved and the team as a whole, you have to put an end to this and you can't let it linger on."

blog comments powered by Disqus