QB-thin Vikings hope Favre can return soon
Associated Press
EDEN PRAIRIE, MINN
Brett Favre’s career isn’t quite over yet.
The Minnesota Vikings have been eliminated from playoff contention, but they still need someone to play quarterback for their final three games. Interim coach Leslie Frazier said the 41-year-old Favre is his choice — and he may be back in time for Monday night’s game against Chicago.
Favre was feeling better Tuesday, according to Frazier, after his NFL-record streak of starting 297 straight regular-season games ended Monday with him on the sideline at Ford Field in Detroit during Minnesota’s loss to the Giants.
He is nursing a sprained throwing shoulder and a numb hand, but an ultrasound on Favre’s neck and shoulder revealed no nerve damage, Frazier said.
For now, the Vikings won’t end Favre’s season, and perhaps his storied career, by putting him on injured reserve.
“I don’t see that as being part of the equation at this point,” Frazier said. “It looks like there’s a chance that we’re going to be able to get him back at some point. Hopefully this week.”
Frazier actually sounded more optimistic about Favre’s availability for the division-leading Bears than he did about the status of backup Tarvaris Jackson, who started in the 21-3 loss to the Giants.
Jackson left the game twice with an injury, the second time because of a turf toe problem that Frazier said has put his availability “in jeopardy” for this week. Jackson leaned heavily on a railing to get up steps toward the locker room after the game.
“That’s a difficult injury, particularly when you’re a skill-position guy like he is,” Frazier said. “So we’ll see what happens with that.”
That leaves the Vikings with rookie Joe Webb, who was going to be used as a wide receiver until the decision was made to make him a quarterback. He hurt his hamstring on Dec. 5 against the Bills, and he’s a sixth-round draft pick whose athletic ability can’t mask the fact that he’s raw and inexperienced with running the offense.
“The circumstances are so unique that we have to think about the now as opposed to long term with Joe,” Frazier said. “If he’s our best available option then he’ll be the guy that’s quarterbacking for us.”