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Favre to return (again): QB signs with Vikings

NFL.com Wire Reports

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings have signed three-time NFL MVP Brett Favre, the team announced on its website Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Sporting a red No. 4 practice jersey, Favre joined his new teammates on the field. John David Booty, who formerly wore No. 4 for the Vikings, had changed to jersey No. 9.

"We believe adding a player such as Brett Favre to our mix will be a strong positive for this football team," Vikings coach Brad Childress said. "As we have conveyed before, his unique knowledge of our system, the NFC North and his innate skills make this a rare opportunity. We felt there was a brief window to reconsider the possibility and we owed it to the organization to evaluate our options. After thorough discussion, the same variables that made this a unique and positive situation previously, still exist. Now, our attention turns to getting to work as a team, our next practice and preparing for the season."

Entering his 19th year in the NFL, Favre has started 269 consecutive games (291 including playoffs) for the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets, the longest stretch ever by an NFL quarterback and the second-longest streak in NFL history, behind only former Minnesota Viking Jim Marshall (270). The 10-time Pro Bowler is the league's all-time leader in touchdown passes (464), completions (5,720), attempts (9,280), yards (65,127) and victories as a starting QB (169).

"I am excited about the opportunity to join this football team," Favre said. "From ownership, to coaching to the players, it is evident that everyone in the Vikings organization is committed to bringing the fans of Minnesota a Championship. I am eager to join my new teammates and get to work towards that goal."

The 39-year-old quarterback arrived in Minnesota on Tuesday, got off a team plane at a small St. Paul airport, got into a black Cadillac Escalade with Childress behind the wheel after shaking hands with the ground crew and finally arrived at the Vikings' Eden Prairie facility at 12:05 p.m. CT with a news helicopter circling overhead.

The Vikings wrapped up training camp last week -- Favre was never a big fan of training camp -- and beat Indianapolis 13-3 in their preseason opener Friday. They got a strong performance from quarterback Sage Rosenfels, who has been competing with Tarvaris Jackson for the starting job.

His zinger of an arm and toughness in the pocket are a combination few possess. With an offense he says he could operate in his sleep, Favre seems to fit well with Minnesota -- epecially given the Vikings' problems finding a reliable quarterback since Childress took over in 2006.

The Vikings have Pro Bowl players all over their roster, with reigning NFL rushing leader Adrian Peterson in the backfield and a dominant defensive line. No matter who's behind center, they ought to be in position to defend their NFC North title. To win the conference, though, and perhaps that elusive Super Bowl, they'll need stability at the sport's most critical position.

So far, neither Jackson nor Rosenfels has the resume to elicit the confidence he can be that solid guy.

Favre has been wrestling with retirement for the better part of this decade, and the will-he-or-won't-he saga became an annual offseason drama for the Packers, his longtime home.

A few months after Favre's tearful goodbye news conference in March 2008, Green Bay traded him to the New York Jets when he tried to come back, only to learn the Packers were committed to Aaron Rodgers. Favre started strong in New York, but faded down the stretch amid problems with his throwing arm and, with another "I'm done" announcement, headed for his second retirement.

The Jets released him from his contract right after the draft and soon after, the Vikings were openly expressing interest. Favre spent the summer working out in Mississippi and led everyone to believe he was on his way back to the NFL until last month.

"It was the hardest decision I've ever made," Favre told ESPN then. "I didn't feel like physically I could play at a level that was acceptable."

The next day, Childress was asked whether there was a chance the Vikings would still pursue Favre. He said: "Not from my standpoint, no." Owner Zygi Wilf reiterated that pledge on the first day training camp.

And yet here comes Favre, who turns 40 in October. He said last month he didn't think he had enough left to get through a full season.

"I had to be careful not to commit for the wrong reasons," Favre said then. "I'm 39 with a lot of sacks to my name."

He has a lot of interceptions to his name, too, more than any other quarterback in NFL history. The last time Favre appeared in the playoffs -- a bitter loss at Lambeau Field by the Packers to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship game following the 2007 season -- he put up one of his worst performances in recent memory.