Brett Favre Waiting on Ankle to Heal; No Timetable for Decision

To no one's surprise, Brett Favre is unsure whether he will play this season. This time, however, his decision may be dependent on recovery from left ankle surgery, according to USA Today.

"After almost nine weeks, it's not where I would like it to be, but I'm working at it,'' the Minnesota Vikings' quarterback told the newspaper, referring to the procedure he had done in late May. "Maybe it never gets to where I want it to be. Forty-years old ... three surgeries ... that's all you need to know.''

The report said that, according to Favre, Vikings coach Brad Chlidress did not give the aging signal-caller a deadline for making a decision about returning for a 20th season. Childress recently visited Favre at his home in Mississippi.

"The deadline? I don't know,'' Favre said in the report. "There obviously comes a point where you've probably gone too far, where you just have to move on. He hopes I make the right decision for myself -- one way or the other."

More Coverage
NFC North Players to Watch | Harry: Annual Brett Favre Saga

At least, Favre recognizes that's he's pushing it -- the patience, that is, of those who follow football. Speculation regarding whether he will play or not has become an annual rite of summer. Last year, after surgery on his throwing arm, his decision to play was validated with one of his finest campaigns, an 11th Pro Bowl selection and a trip to the NFC Championship Game.

Minnesota, which lost out on a trip to the Super Bowl thanks to an untimely interception by Favre, will try to redeem itself with or without the NFL legend. The Vikings open training camp July 30 in preparation for their season opener, a rematch of the NFC title game against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 9.

Favre, who will turn 41 in October, told USA Today that he has a great relationship with Childress, whom he credits for having much more patience than the rest of us while waiting for the QB to make a decision.

"Our visit was great. I think the world of him [and] his patience," Favre told the newspaper. "He and I joked about how there were some rocky times [between them] last year. All of a sudden, we weren't sittin' on the front porch anymore BS-ing. But any good team has that. We're both competitors, that happens.''

The NFL's all-time leader in passing TDs, yards and interceptions, Favre has one Super Bowl win to his credit -- the Green Bay Packers' win over the New England Patriots in January 1997 -- and no doubt has bitter taste in his mouth after last year's exit.

But Favre, this time because of a slow-healing ankle, will keep us all waiting again.