Favre’s future uncertain

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. – Brad Childress did not give Brett Favre a deadline to make a decision on whether he intends to play this season when the two convened at Favre’s home in Mississippi last week.

But with the Vikings’ first practice of training camp set for Friday, the coach said he has a general idea of how long Favre would need to prepare if – as everyone expects – he returns for his 20th NFL season. Childress figures the 40-year-old quarterback could be ready for the season in “two or three weeks.”

“Close to the same period as last year,” Childress said Monday.

Childress said he left his visit with Favre unsure of whether he will play this season, although it’s hard to believe that Childress or anyone inside the Vikings organization expects anything other than Favre’s return.

It’s highly unlikely that Favre will announce his decision while the Vikings are in Mankato for the first two weeks of camp. Given a two- to three-week timetable, Favre could return after the second preseason game Aug. 22 at San Francisco.

Under that scenario, he would play extensively in the third preseason game Aug. 28 vs. Seattle and have two-plus weeks to prepare for the season opener against New Orleans on Thursday, Sept. 9. Favre would not be expected to play in the fourth and final preseason game.

Favre continues to work out with a high school team near his home as he rehabs his surgically repaired left ankle. Childress said he doesn’t see Favre’s ankle as a major problem or potential roadblock for him playing. The injury certainly brings fewer questions than last season when Favre returned after having surgery to repair a torn biceps tendon in his passing arm.

Favre runs stadium stairs with a weighted vest in hot, humid weather, so his conditioning shouldn’t be too much of an issue if/when he returns.

“He knows where he’s at physically,” Childress said. “He’s doing things to put himself in position right now. It’s not like he’s just a lump of clay right now where, ‘OK, I’m going to decide and then I have to get busy.’ Now, do you go through some of the general soreness from scissoring 100 five-step drops? Yeah.”

Until that happens though, Childress’ immediate focus is on the other quarterbacks. Yet unlike last season, the Vikings won’t enter training camp with an open competition between Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels.

With Favre’s return looming, Jackson enters camp as the interim starter and will get the majority of reps with the first-team offense. Jackson held the No. 2 job all last season and that has not changed, although Childress said Rosenfels will get some work with the starters in camp. Rookie Joe Webb will run the third-team offense.