Specialist assured Favre that shoulder is 'OK'
Days after being told that a small tear in his right rotator cuff shouldn't prevent him from playing, Brett Favre(notes) decided on Monday night to return to football for the second time.
Favre joined the Vikings at practice Tuesday afternoon, shortly after agent Bus Cook confirmed that the two sides had negotiated a two-year deal worth $12 million for the first season and $13 million-$14 million for 2010.
"He's going to get there and see how it goes," Cook said. "When you're 40-something in the NFL, you take things a year at a time."
Renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews found a small tear in Favre's rotator cuff when he did surgery earlier in the offseason to release a tendon that was causing pain in Favre's arm. Upon being informed of the tendon tear, Cook said Favre was hesitant to sign with the Vikings at the beginning of training camp for fear that he would have to quit when the injury got worse.
"At the time, he didn't want to give them his word he was ready to go because, in his mind, he wanted to give them what they paid for and he wasn't sure how the arm was going to be," Cook said.
On Friday, Andrews called Cook to say that if Favre wanted to play, he should.
"He can't promise that it won't get worse, but Dr. Andrews basically said it should be OK to get through the season. Basically, he said, 'Hey, if you want to play, go do it,' " Cook said.
Armed with that information, Favre set in motion the wheels of his second return since retiring from the Green Bay Packers in March 2008. Favre caused great drama last summer when he attempted to come out of retirement, but the Packers balked at bringing him back because they had committed to Aaron Rodgers(notes).
Favre was eventually traded to the New York Jets where he had uneven results. He led the team to an 8-3 record at one point, including a dominating win at Tennessee. But the Jets went 1-4 the rest of the way and failed to make the playoffs as Favre threw nine interceptions and two touchdown passes during that stretch.
Favre, who threw 22 touchdown passes and 22 interceptions, was one of a league-high seven Jets named to the Pro Bowl. Favre has averaged 22 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions during the past four years.
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