Between Brett Favre's May arthroscopic surgery on his right throwing shoulder and his July 28 decision that he would not join the Minnesota Vikings, "a little rotator cuff tear" was revealed in that shoulder, his agent, Bus Cook, said on Tuesday.
"And it's still there," Cook said. "When he said recently that he would not play, he was not sure it would get worse. It was found on a follow-up MRI. He feels like now the shoulder is not going to get any worse. He still feels like he can play at a high level with it. So, he's back to play football. But he was not going to do it unless he felt he could give a day's work for a day's pay."
How about a season for $12 million?
And one final hurrah.
And so it goes. Favre back. Already in practice with the Vikings. Physical passed and contract signed and new uniform donned. The familiar No. 4, however, remains.
No doubt, Favre did it his way.
I will be ready when I am ready if I am ever ready.
He is ready.
"We have talked with the Vikings on and off for the last few weeks," Cook said. "It has always been a possibility, but you never know. I never told him to stay, go, do anything. I wanted him to do what he wanted to do and be happy. Everybody makes a big deal about him wanting to skip training camp. Heck, no player wants to be in training camp. It wasn't about that. It was about being able to perform. And right now he is fine."
He was fine "right now" with the Jets for the first 11 games last season, when the team sped to an 8-3 record. But that 1-4 finish, Favre's nightmare finish, was marred by injury to his arm that went undisclosed.
Will it happen again?
Will his arm tire, fade, fall with the Vikings?
The Vikings leap to take a shot. They have decided that a good Favre now and a questionable one later at quarterback is better than a healthy Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson.
This is a huge adjustment to the Vikings players on an assortment of levels. The Vikings brass must realize this. Coaches and management can say that they make decisions and players simply play and must fall in line. But in reality, in today's NFL, that simply is not true. If they are not in line, you bet, it will show in the team's performance. In its endurance. In its chemistry and in its effort.
If it all clicks, the Vikings are clearly a better team with Favre at quarterback.
Favre believes that.
"This is not about playing Green Bay," Cook said. "Brett wants to win another Super Bowl. That's what this is all about. He knows it is a long, hard road to do that. But winning the Super Bowl for him this season would be a crown jewel."
