Bold guesses on Favre’s durability

Recently, quite a few NFL players announced retirement, and most of them are around 30 years old and none is older than 40. That’s normal in NFL, but it made me more curious about the durability of Minnesota Vikings quarterback, 41-year-old Brett Favre.

I have to guess hard why Favre could still play so well when he was 40 years old, two years after he first announced retirement. He never retired for real sense and returned to a different team every time after he announced the end of his NFL career. People got fed up with his uncertainties, but were still amazed by his excellent performance. By so far this season, Favre has not made any announcement on retirement or return, but he is highly expected to wear back his Brett Favre jersey because his performance in 2009 season has convinced people of his capability and durability. But why is he so durable while most other players end career shortly after 30th birthday or just have decreasing value even if they stay to age 40?

I have to doubt that whether the quarterback we saw on field was really the Brett Favre we talked about? Is there another man like Favre and playing as well so he and Favre can play in turn? If so, both men could have enough rest before playing his next game. I also guessed that Favre may use some kind of steroids to make his body stronger. He is 41 years old and a grandfather now, I can hardly believe he can do even better than he did while younger, and I even doubt he has a twin brother or clone to play for him when he is not in good condition. Oh, Vikings fans forgive me, I’ve just read too many conspiracy novels.

Vikings said Favre’s surgery was expectable

While a lot of people were excited about Brett Favre’s surgery on his left ankle, the responses from the Minnesota Vikings were not with much surprise. Calling it promising news, most of the Vikings said the move was just expected long before it really happened.

Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe’s words may represent quite a lot of his fellow teammates. Shiancoe said that Favre had to change some part of his body if he had even the slightest intention to play his 20th NFL season, and leading the Vikings so close to Super Bowl XLIV could just make the quarterback want more success in a new season. None of the Vikings, either player or coaching staff or even officials, has got any information from Favre on his playing status in 2010 season, but they all take the latest surgery as a strong suggestion of his plan to wear back the purple and gold Brett Favre jersey. If their wish comes true, Favre would be the first grandpa winning Super Bowl in the league.

The Vikings are still carrying on their offseason plans without a confirmed starting quarterback. They are confident that Favre will return to take the job back. Favre himself also used to say that playing with his former rivals gave him good feelings and the 2009 season could the best one he has had during his 19-year NFL career.

With or Without Favre Vikings have same chance to win

Leading the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC appearance last season, starting quarterback Brett Favre has been expected by many Vikings fans to return for his 20th NFL season and help the Vikings win a Super Bowl championship in 2010 season. However, they may have overrated Favre’s role in Vikings’ win.

Indeed, Favre’s arrival made the Vikings much more threatening in competition for the championship in 2009 season, and he could be the only quarterback that was able to make it at age 40. If he retires, the Vikings would suddenly fall into a leaderless panic and started the 2010 season in awful way. As a 19-year veteran quarterback, Favre has been a master in passing game and always a great leading role. Without him, the Vikings will look more vulnerable with a weaken offense. However, Favre’s existence could also be a weak point of the Vikings. While his accuracy and leadership could help the team to score points, his aging body is also a target of opponent team’s defensive players. The New Orleans Saints defensive players just made that happen during the NFC game last season. As a result of the attack, Favre had to undergo a surgery to repair his ankle last Friday and needs more time to consider resuming his NFL career.

What if Favre does not make a return? Other quarterbacks in Vikings jerseys will have a competition for starting job and most likely Tarvaris Jackson will win back his starting job finally. After one year of learning from Favre and several years of preparation for starting job, he have some breakout performance during the regular season and keep the hope alive for Vikings to have another winning season.

Vikings coach Childress had no conclusion on Favre’s surgery

After the media burst into crazy reports on Brett Favre’s surgery that was reported to be done on Friday morning, the Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress has been somewhat silent. He did not return any message to requests for the surgery’s indication, but did tell some friends that it was still too early to make any conclusion at the moment.

Earlier reports said that Favre’s doctor suggested the quarterback to have an ankle surgery before wearing back his Vikings jersey to play football again. However, Favre denied that the surgery would determine his decision on return or retire. However, on the day prior to the surgery Favre bet with his Alma Mater’s baseball team the Golden Eagles on the team’s playoff appearance. He said if the Golden Eagles managed to get a pass for the College World Series, he would return to NFL for his 20th season. Linking that bet with the surgery, a lot of people believe that Favre was actually indicating his possible career resuming.

However, Childress still insisted that he and the Vikings would wait for Favre’s final decision and would not push him even after the surgery. Indeed, the 40-year-old veteran, who is turning 41 in October, definitely needs more time for recovery than young players. He can still reserve his right to make a late decision.

Injured ankle has nothing to do with Favre’s decision

When people began to guess whether the possible surgery Brett Favre needs to have will impact what decision the quarterback may make on his playing status, Favre himself made announcement that the surgery is only to be a minor one and he still remains undecided. Can you figure out the truth? There has been definitely a decision already, but he simply keeps it wrapped up so that we can keep guessing.

If Favre really has any intention to quit, he would not have caused so much discussion by coming out from time to time to release a piece of his mind or recent health condition. It’s obvious that he still enjoys being discussed rather than get prepared for retirement. While some people give reasons for Favre to return, some others are trying best to figure out whether he keeps telling us he is undecided. One of the opinions is that Favre simply wants to avoid offseason workout. If that’s true, he could simply tell the team about this and he surely won’t be refused. It’s not necessary for him to play all these tricks whether he decides to return to retire. At age 40 and having played professional football in NFL for 19 seasons, he has earned enough honor to have the freedom of making any decision he likes.

There is a most reasonable explanation for us to keep hearing of all kinds of things about Favre: they are all deliberately designed to attract attention. He will have a surgery and will wear back the No.4 Vikings jersey and it won’t be surprising even if the decision is made in the last hour before the season opener. Get over it, because we are in offseason.

Vikings surprised us with their choices in draft

Last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings successfully attracted enough attention from NFL fans by managing to sign Brett Favre, who previously announced retirement after an unhappy season with New York Jets. And on the point, they had success again by drafting new players beyond expectation and keeping it secret on whether Favre will put on Vikings jersey again.

The only choice that the Vikings made and did to confuse us was the pick of Virginia cornerback Chris Cook, who is 6-2 tall and had good playing skills and fine speed, all the elements necessary to a good cornerback. However, it was still a bit surprise when it turned out that the Vikings’ first choice in the draft was a cornerback. Previously people had guessed that the team could acquire help for other positions because they just signed former Jets cornerback Lito Sheppard. With addition of Cook, the Vikings now have at least four cornerbacks available for the new season.

The Vikings made their second choice with running back Toby Gerhart from Stanford, adding back up to running back Adrian Peterson. Then they drafted defensive end, guard, linebacker, wide receiver, tight end and linebacker, but no quarterback, even though the return of Brett Favre seemed more intriguing than even. Fans and analysts got confused and tried hard to find explanations for what Vikings did. Well, they did manage to find one, that is, the team does not want much change at all. They seem confident that the starters leading them to 12-4 last season are able to lead them an even better season this season.

Vikings still have chance to pick QB Jimmy Clausen

When everyone was expecting the Minnesota Vikings to use their 30th overall draft pick to get former Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen, the team surprised us by trading the first-round pick and a fourth-round pick to NFC North rival Detroit Lions to get a second-rounder and fourth-round and seventh-round picks.

What happened next was nothing we ever expected previously. The Lions did not use the 30th overall pick to draft Clausen, either, but took California running back Jahvid Best instead. Then Tim Tebow became the 25th pick drafted by the Denver Broncos, and Clausen still stayed in the draft waiting for an interested team. However, by the end of Thursday night’s first-round draft, the quarterback remained undrafted and was set to enter the second-round draft.

On the other side, the Vikings now have nine picks over the final six rounds of the draft, including eh second pick of the second round. That means Clausen still has chance to put on Vikings jersey if the team does have plan to draft someone on Friday night. What makes it more possible, the holder of the first pick in second round, the St. Louis Rams, has already taken quarterback Sam Bradford with the first overall pick and they are unlikely to add another quarterback in second round. What is going to happen really depends on what the Vikings plan to do with their quarterbacks.

Vikings signed QB Jackson while waiting for Favre’s decision

Now the Minnesota Vikings are more confident with their quarterback plan for the 2010 season. While last season’s starting quarterback Brett Favre still needs more time to think about his playing status in the new season, the Vikings had backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson sign his tender offer to remain in Vikings jersey.

Being a restricted free agent when this offseason began, Jackson received the tender offer worth $1.176 million from Vikings so that he could stay with the team as a backup quarterback for Favre, or even as starting quarterback if Favre eventually decides not to wear back his No. 4 jersey. But I guess Jackson would not have that high expectation this time to avoid the heavy disappointment he experienced last offseason when his starting job was taken away after Favre changed his retiring plan to join the Vikings.

As the day of 2010 draft is coming close, there is higher and higher expectation that Favre will make his final decision soon to end the speculations. However, as the Vikings have made it clear that their main targets in the draft would be cornerbacks and now they re-signed Jackson, it is just less necessary for Favre to make a fast decision. So while he is taking his time to enjoy family life, we could just take our time to make more guesses.