Heeeere we go again...join me after the jump for reaction to this news:
Brett Favre’s desire to play for the Vikings has led him to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair his injured passing shoulder but that doesn’t mean the quarterback will be wearing purple in 2009.
ESPN cited two sources Sunday in reporting that Favre had the procedure performed last month, but also added that Favre remains unable to make a commitment because subsequent throwing sessions indicate the shoulder is not yet 100 percent.
Brett Favre in purple is as close to being a sure thing as it's ever been. No, we can't quite say it's a lock, but you've gotta imagine it's virtually imminent. Barring a stunning turn of events that pushes him back to retirement, it's only a matter of time before these words appear here at Daily Norseman: Brett Favre is officially a Minnesota Viking.
So, what's going through your mind right now? I guess more than anything, I'm relieved. For a period of a week or two, there's been a troubling lack of Favre news -- not that I didn't grow tired of hearing about him all the time, but I wanted some sense that an end was in sight for this saga. That's why I'm breathing a sigh of relief today.
There is now only one thing standing between the Vikings and some much-needed and long-awaited closure at the quarterback position: The health of that right shoulder. We're not wondering whether or not he's interested in coming out of retirement once again -- indeed, on the list of unanswered questions surrounding Favre, only one remains. I see every reason to believe that, with surgery out of the way, he'll soon be signing with the Vikings.
Recall that Favre was hardly sold on surgery at one point -- he was exploring every option besides surgery, and a comeback was hardly certain if his shoulder ultimately needed to be operated on. In fact, the best bet seemed to be that he wouldn't make a return if the shoulder required surgery.
And that's what makes this an interesting turn of events. After weeks of trying to avoid surgery, he apparently threw in the towl and went through with the operation. That bodes well for the Vikings. At one point, his desire to play for them hinged on whether or not the non-surgical treatments were effective, but late last month, things changed.
This news would certainly suggest that the decision to come out of retirement became an easier one to make, and that his desire to play for the Vikings became stronger throughout the weeks that led up to surgery. Favre took a step that he was once unwilling to take, which I view as a good sign.
So the waiting game continues, but the drama has gone down a notch. It's a safe bet that he'll be a Minnesota Viking -- I mean, for crying out loud, of course his shoulder isn't 100% yet if he underwent surgery only a few weeks ago. If he took a step he was once unwilling to take, he'll complete the comeback by signing with the Vikings.
The quarterback controversy between Sage and T-Jack will be forgotten, Favre's health will be scrutinized for the next few months, and our attention will turn to how he'll operate in an offense that will give him plenty of weapons at his disposal. That November 1st game at Lambeau will become one of the most-anticipated Vikings games of all-time. The optimists will rave about how Favre instantly makes the Vikings a Super Bowl contender, while the cynics will mock the team for solidifying its status as having the third-best starting quarterback in the NFC North.
So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen -- that's where we're at. One tiny step away from having a bitter rival as starting quarterback for the 2009 season. Give it a little more time and that shoulder should be feeling much better -- and at that point, this bizarre offseason journey will finally end as Brett steps up to the podium at Winter Park.