In a USA today interview piece published today (link at bottom).  Not exactly surprising this is coming up this time of year, if you've been following the man as I have.  I urge people to not read too much into this, and not get too worked up about.  It's just what he does ... that's why some have called him the Hamlet of Mississippi. 

Since it's all off the football field that these doubts and hesitation comes up, may I suggest doing as I do: just shrug, accept it, and keep enjoying watching him play. What he says at this time of year, historically speaking, has had almost no correlation to what he actually ends up doing the following spring:

1. after 2006 he was strongly hinting he would quit (he broke down crying about "what a great run its been and I'll miss the guys if I don't come back" in the postgame interview after week 17), and he decided relatively quickly he would not; in fact he hired a personal trainer and worked out the entire offseason
   
2. after 2007 he didn't talk much at all about quitting, and then of course he (in)famously did; surprising everyone,
3. after 2008, well ...everyone here is intimately familiar with that, he said he was done, then he wasn't.  And that was just February; he did it all over again in August!
   

This is just what comes with Favre.  Like I said, I counsel just shrugging and moving on.  In any case, if you read the interview, what USA Today says he is thinking about retiring is not really supported too much by direct quotes.  They may just be taking a small "Sure, I could retire I suppose" and blowing it up to something more than it is.

He also talks about his addiction to painkillers back in the day -- and how he's now taking 2400mg of ibuporofen a day (!) instead -- and how his relationship with his dad was complex (the anniversary of his death is coming up, I imagine this is why he's thinking about him).  So if the Hamlet parallels were not complete already, this "ghost of his dad" stuff just about ices it :).  And lots of stuff about wanting a son, doing in-vitro and having three miscairages trying to do it ... lots of personal stuff which I doubt he's ever said before.

MY TAKE: This introspection does make me a little nervous where Brett is at right now. Compounded a bit by the description of all the pain he is in. If he gets too wrapped up in it, it might affect his play. But on the other hand, I think this talk of retirement may be blown out of proportion, in the context of the pain he is in, excerpted in the last quote below, can you blame a 40yo guy for sometimes wondering "do I really need -- do I really want -- to keep doing this to myself?"  It isn't that unnatural.  I really am starting to hope that we lock down the #2 seed this weekend, and then the next three weeks he gets a lot of opportunity to recuperate.

The Vikings' success this year has created high expectations for a Minnesota franchise that is 0-4 in Super Bowls. Favre strongly hints he will retire if he can captain the Vikings to their first championship. "Yeah," Favre says, "I'd be pretty comfortable saying, 'Hey, there ain't nothin' left. …."  However, "I'm not going to sit there and go, 'Oh, my God' if the Vikings don't win the Super Bowl, he says. "I'd love to get there, but it's not make-or-break for me."

Favre says he never felt comfortable with his passing fundamentals, which he felt were stunted under his father's coaching. To this day, Favre's unorthodox style — falling back as he throws, firing the football off-balance from weird angles — leaves his mechanics flawed, though his arm strength and improvisational skills more than make up for it. "My dad taught me toughness, but that was it. I was so far behind" as a passer, he says. "I always felt like I was trying to prove to him that I could throw it 80 yards, and through a wall."

 

Father and son were a lot alike — plain-spoken, fun-loving and stubborn. But Brett was even more like his grandfather, Alvin Favre: Big-hearted and somewhat reclusive, though engaging when in a group.

"You would never know Brett is really sort of distant," says Jeff Favre, a younger brother. "He always has been different. He was who he was before he made it in the NFL."

"A couple of weeks ago, I felt terrible," he says. "Both ankles; there was no movement (getting out of bed). I was hobbling. The previous week, I was slammed on my shoulder. I tried lifting my arms and they felt like they weighed 20 pounds. My legs? They're strong, but I don't trust 'em (to run far)." ... when it comes to concussions, the NFL's hot-button topic, well, he's a bit foggy on his medical history.  "It's no laughing matter, but I've had more than I can remember," Favre says. "You are going to see stars a little bit. I mean, it is football."

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