How Firm is Favre Deadline?

by Anthony21 on Jun 8, 2009 1:50 PM CDT in Favregeddon

First of all, I've knocked this down the main page with Favre updates, but I'd highly recommend Gonzo's breakdown of the Wildcat -- er, Loki -- formation if you're looking for a change of pace from the Favre talk.

Now that Brad Childress has reportedly set a deadline of this week for Brett to make his decision, I guess that makes this the logical question: Will Chilly actually hold firm to that deadline? According to the report, Favre is uncomfortable with the deadline, so this development hardly provides closure for Favregeddon. After the jump, we'll go through why Childress might stick to this deadline and why he might waver.

Needless to say, Chilly's gotta be ready to turn the page on the Favre drama. True, we all knew what this team was getting itself into when it engaged Favre in talks of coming out of retirement, but the dance has gone on for weeks upon weeks, Chilly has struggled to prevent this from becoming a distraction at minicamp and OTAs, and he might finally put his foot down if he's confronted with an indefinite continuation of the dance.

Not to mention the concerns he might have about Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, and how they might be affected by a continuation of the Favre rumors into the summer. Fran Tarkenton argued that Sagevaris Rosenjackson was being disrespected by the organization's decision to entertain the possibility of a Favre comeback and I think he's largely correct in making that point. Chilly might just want to cut his losses if Favre refuses to make a timely decision -- he might just get to work on returning the team's focus to a training camp quarterback competition.

Assuming Favre doesn't make a decision by Friday, though, the much more likely scenario is that Chilly scraps the deadline and allows the dance to continue. Simply put, Chilly wants Favre to become a Viking and Favre himself wants to become a Viking -- if Brett needs more time to continue testing his shoulder, I see little reason to believe that Chilly wouldn't grant him it. There's no question it makes some sense for the Vikings to assert that, contrary to what most of us believe, they're the ones in control here, but they also need to be reasonable.

Here's what the ESPN report says about Favre's current mindset:

Favre, however, is apparently reluctant to commit to playing a 19th NFL season without first being more confident the arthroscopic surgery performed recently on his throwing shoulder has succeeded in eliminating all of the problems related to a torn biceps tendon.

That means a couple things -- he ain't making a decision by the end of the week, he'll need to see progress before he makes the final decision to come out of retirement, and Chilly will most likely watch as his deadline collapses like a house of cards. He wants Favre too badly to use any of the reasons I listed as justification for sticking to his deadline. Besides, if Favre's in the middle of his recovery, it makes little sense to pull the plug on him. What happens if the deadline passes and Favre approaches the team in a few weeks about coming back? Is this just a ploy to gain bargaining leverage over Favre, or are there other factors in play?

The deadline is a bizarre development in this saga, one which Chilly has surely developed his reasons for imposing on Favre but one which will ultimately prove meaningless. If this week passes without a resolution to Favregeddon, it would certainly be an embarrassment for the Vikings -- and until we hear more, that's exactly what I'm expecting.

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Will Favre make a decision by the end of the week?

Yes

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No

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Comments

i don’t believe chili actually imposed a deadline.

by iseepurplepeople on Jun 8, 2009 2:12 PM CDT reply actions

Well, ESPN’s actually done a solid job throughout all this — breaking the surgery story, setting the record straight on Walters. Yahoo!, SI, Pioneer Press, and the Strib have all misfired as some point, but I’ve been impressed with the job Werder and Mortensen have done.

by Anthony21 on Jun 8, 2009 2:15 PM CDT up reply actions

Me neither

I could see Chilly wanting to know by the 2nd week of July, but not the 2nd wk of June. Especially right after Favre had his surgery, and they don’t even know if the surgery was a success or not.

by chaosg on Jun 8, 2009 2:35 PM CDT up reply actions

Chilly will stick to his deadline

He does not care about bad ideas he sticks with them.

example Tahi screen passes

by Nefarien on Jun 8, 2009 2:56 PM CDT reply actions

This is one of Brad-the-red-hot-Childress-pepper's good descisions

Seriously. Nobody in Winter Park wants this thing to drag out another two months—least of all the two guys who very well might end up playing QB in the absence of Farve. Let the guys concentrate on being the best team they can be—with or without Drama Cheesedoodle—over the summer, not whether or not Sir Lawnmower will deign to come to camp.

by virginia viking on Jun 8, 2009 3:26 PM CDT reply actions

Favre, however, is apparently reluctant to commit

Well, gee whiz, that’s a shocker! He normally seems so decisive when it comes to his future.

No way there’s a decision this week. The key is whether Chilly will actually stick to the deadline and turn the page when Favre doesn’t make a choice.

In AP I trust
Just say no to Favre.

by FarvaForTheVikings on Jun 8, 2009 3:40 PM CDT reply actions

               Chilly may have lost some of the fans for one reason or another, but he has control of the locker room. Reports from last year and so far this year, the players seem to respond to and respect Childress. All that would be lost if he goes back on a public deadline for Farve.
              Some fans might be happy if he does, but all the authority Childress has built up in the locker room will be lost. Since he came here, he has expected integrity and accountability from the players. To set a public deadline, then go back on it, would cause him to lose his integrity and accountability with the players.
              Just imagine the situation at your work place. Your boss gives everyone a deadline to finish a project. Once the deadline comes, he makes an exception for one person, while everyone else was working within the guidelines and worked hard to get their part done on time. Everyone would not only lose respect for the boss, but they probably don’t work as hard because they know that the boss isn’t holding himself to the same high standards he holds everyone else.
             The same would happen in the locker room. All the chemistry the team has been building up and the hard work the Vikings have been putting in wouldn’t mean much. Childress has to stick to his deadline (until tomorrow when the news breaks that there is no deadline, or that there wasn’t a surgery, or that Farve is creating his own team to play the Packer’s 16 times a year to extract his revenge) or lose the team which could lead anywhere to a few players not wanting to hold their weight, to a complete blow up. Either way, until the season starts with/or without him, the Farve story won’t go away.

by Josh_D on Jun 8, 2009 4:20 PM CDT reply actions

HAS FAVRE CAME OUT AND SAID HE GOT THE SURGERY?? HAS CHILLY CAME OUT AND SAID HIMSELF HE SET THE DEADLINE FOR FAVRE?? NOOOOOOO!!!! WHY ARE WE GONNA LISTEN TO MORE OF THESE “CONFIRMED REPORTS”??

by shift47_brada on Jun 8, 2009 4:27 PM CDT reply actions

What's the point of the deadline?

Until Farve makes a decision, or if the decisio is no, Chili has his current contest which Sage is going to win in my opinion. If it turns out Sage really looks good by July 31, when Farve finally gets around to deciding what to do, maybe Chili will decide the team is better with Sage who could play many years. What does Chili gain by setting a deadline then waffling a few weeks later, nothing. Chili just needs to keep his current QB’s focused on learning and see what happens. These are pro football players, they should be trying to win the job no matter who Chili gets to play. It’s only a distraction if they let it become one.

by Drullin'OverDaCards on Jun 8, 2009 5:28 PM CDT reply actions

I think you have to be able to interpret these leaks and 2nd hand information reports. I doubt if the Vikings phrased it as a deadline. They probably want to begin the process of signing him to a deal at the end of this week. All the OTAs will be over and it gives Favre some time to work out a contract.

If this week comes and goes without any new news, it won’t change my opinion of Favre’s chances to be a Viking. I firmly believe at this point he will be a Viking. I won’t waver on that thought unless we’re a week into training camp and he’s still not signed. I would hope he’ll get signed soon, but I don’t think Favre’ll do it unless he knows he can be healthy enough to start.

I would also guess he had the procedure done 2-3 weeks ago. I don’t have anything to back that up other than a hunch. It was very quiet for 2 weeks. My guess is he threw for the first time a couple days ago and experienced pain. That would be normal.

With all that in mind, I bet in three weeks he signs. That would be about the time most experts think he should be back to form (4-6 week recovery). There is a chance he will say he can’t do it. But when you want something bad enough, in the end you make it fit. And who would not want to be the QB of the Vikings this year. That’s one sweet looking sports car.

by newmexvike on Jun 8, 2009 5:41 PM CDT reply actions

Ante Up

Sure, Brett is not the only one who would not want Favre to promise to fly with a broken wing, do ten barrell rolls for us, and attempt to break the sound barrier, but the Chillster legimately can insist on knowing if Favre intends to apply for an NFL job or not this year, assuming that the well-established arm heals.

Let’s have Favre disavow the plot twist where he wakes up on his lawn tractor somewhere around August and says to himself, “Gosh, I feel a mile high, so now I want to be a Denver Bronco,” and dear Bus Cook starts babbling, “I won’t comment on that; it’s really all up to Brett.”

Are you in this hand or not? Ante up Brett. Is this rumor mill just fantasy football or do you want your shot at another season in the NFL, assuming a world famous sports doc has somehow humbly patched you up right? It’s not like this thing about unretiring has been kept as quiet as a vacant church, and no one is going to sling mud if that arm is not up to par. The Vikings are in this thing for 2009, with you or without.

So there you have it, Brett. Kindly toss in that first little chip in if you want to play the game with the gang this hand. If you have no guts for that much, who’d be nuts enough to follow you out of a huddle? This ain’t tap dancing.

by Elgar on Jun 8, 2009 6:34 PM CDT reply actions

I think he's right to wait.

This is going to be a huge poker pot. And the Packers are at the table as well. If Favre goes in before he sees his cards (knows whether he healthy), it would be pretty embarrassing if he can’t get it done. Imagine losing to the Packers on MNF because he’s throwing ducks like he did at the end of last year. That would be tough to live down in a work environment that had Packer fans in it.

I want Favre in MN, but only if the Vikings get the Favre that took the Jets to 8-3. So take your time Brett, if you’re healthy and can throw like you know you can, get it done and get in camp. If not, at least we know where he wanted to finish his career. Sage is worth a look if Brett can’t play. A healthy Favre is a safer bet, but only if he’s healthy.

Personally, I think he will recover just fine from what I’ve read is a simple procedure. If he does recover, there is supposed to be no limitation to throwing. I think he’s making the right call though by waiting to know for sure. Because once he gets in MN the circus will be on and there’s only one way to end that show.

by newmexvike on Jun 9, 2009 12:03 AM CDT up reply actions

Why would Favre commit to a deadline?

Do you really think if this “deadline” is real, and it most likely isn’t, do you really think Favre would be threatened into making a decision earlier than he wants to?

It has been all about Favre for 17+ years, and there’s no way Childress or anyone else in the organization will change that.

For argument’s sake, let’s say the “deadline” passes and Chilly & Co. say they’re no longer interested, but two weeks later Favre makes a statement that he’s ready to play for the Vikes. You really think the Vikings will say “sorry buddy, but we gave you that deadline a while back, no deal”? Helllll no.

I’m not happy about it whatsoever, but Favre is coming, and it’ll be whenever he damn well pleases.

by Eric J. Thompson on Jun 9, 2009 4:11 PM CDT reply actions

I agree, there is no deadline.

>>I’m not happy about it whatsoever, but Favre is coming, and it’ll be whenever he damn well pleases.

I seriously doubt there is any reason for the delay other than the health of his arm. When he knows he can throw, he’ll be in. I think he has plenty of motivation to ensure he’s as prepared for the season as possible. He’s playing for a chance at a Super Bowl. He knows the window of opportunity is closing and once it does, there won’t be another chance.

by newmexvike on Jun 9, 2009 4:51 PM CDT up reply actions