EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Quarterback Brett Favre said Wednesday he believes the fines handed down by the NFL for his absence from last year's New York Jets injury reports were "very unfair."
Reporters asked Favre for the first time about the $125,000 in penalties levied on the Jets organization ($75,000), general manager Mike Tannenbaum ($25,000) and former coach Eric Mangini ($25,000).
"I just think it's wrong," said Favre, who's now with the Minnesota Vikings. "They did everything that I felt they were supposed to."
Earlier this month, Favre revealed the process he and the Jets went through in assessing the health of his throwing arm last December. He played through a torn biceps tendon, and his performance suffered. The NFL investigated the situation and announced the fines last week for the Jets' failure to list Favre on the injury report.
Favre said he discussed his condition with the Jets last year because he wanted the team to know he wasn't at his best.
"I felt like maybe there were some throws where I could've played better because of this injury," Favre said. "I just wanted to let them know that. I never asked them to put me on the injury report. I can't tell you how many times I probably should've been on the injury report. I practiced. I played. I knew I was going to play.
"I wanted them to know that I wasn't too proud to play just to play."
Favre said he told Tannenbaum and Mangini, who now coaches the Cleveland Browns, that he was sorry about the way the season went sour. Favre led the Jets to an 8-3 start and first place in the AFC East, but he threw nine interceptions down the stretch as the team lost four of its last five games to miss the playoffs.
The NFL has stepped up its policing of injury reports, and the penalties levied against the Jets and Mangini were an opportunity for the league to stress the importance of following the rules. Tannenbaum recently acknowledged that Favre should have been listed as "probable" down the stretch.
Last week, Favre set what the NFL believes to be the all-time record for consecutive games started, with 271. He hurt both hands in that game against the Detroit Lions, including the nail on his right thumb being bent all the way back.
"It doesn't feel good, but that was it," Favre said. "It was a pretty good shot I took, but that was it."
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
