Brett Favre ended weeks of silence Monday by making it clear that if his surgically repaired right arm is healthy he wants to return to the NFL — as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. During an interview on HBO, the retired quarterback admitted it “makes perfect sense” for him to play in Minnesota, even referring to the Vikings as “we” at one point.

“It’s an offense that I ran for 16 years,” Favre said on the debut episode of “Joe Buck Live”, referring to the short-passing West Coast system that the Green Bay Packers ran when Favre was with that team and that the Vikings currently use.
Favre, who had not spoken to the media since being granted his release from the New York Jets reserve/retired list in late April, acknowledged that the Vikings are the only team with which he has had contact.
While it was nice to hear Favre clarify things after there had been so many rumors and reports floated in recent weeks, nothing he said came as a major surprise. This includes the fact that if he’s going to return the key is going to be the health of his throwing arm.
Favre, who retired from the Jets after last season, confirmed he underwent a procedure 2› weeks ago that was performed by noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews. The arthroscopic surgery enabled Andrews to clip the partially torn biceps tendon in Favre’s right arm and thus begin the healing process. Favre was told by Andrews that he should know if it was a success in four or five weeks.
“I don’t think you can go past anything more than the arm,” Favre said of possibly playing in 2009. “If that’s not up to par, and it’s not up to par when the time comes, then I can’t play. I went through it last year and I’ve gutted it out or whatever but it affected me and it affected our team and I don’t want to do that again and I won’t do it again. So that was why I went ahead and had the surgery.”
Favre said he has not had any Vikings coaches visit him at his Mississippi home but did acknowledge head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman was in town on Sunday to show him some exercises related to rehabbing his arm.
Favre admitted that Vikings coach Brad Childress asked him to attend the team’s offseason workouts, even though Favre would not have been asked to participate.
“I chose not to and you can pick sides on this and I think both sides are right,” Favre said. “He wanted me to be there to be a part of the team and things like that, knowing that there’s not guarantee my arm will be like it was before. I chose to stay away because I figured there would be a media frenzy if I was there and there would be a media frenzy if I couldn’t play, if we had to say three weeks later, ’You know his arm is just not up to par, he can’t play.’ I said, ’Why not just have one media frenzy?’ And that would be later on. But it wasn’t anything to do with practicing or anything like that. It’s either all or nothing to me.”
When asked about getting the chance to play with Vikings Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson, Favre said: “It makes a lot of sense (for me to go to Minnesota) because the pieces are in place. They do have a great running back, they have a great running game. If I go there, I mean there’s no guarantees. ... I think in that situation understanding what is expected of you, knowing your team, knowing that as long as we can run the ball and complete passes when needed we should be pretty good.”
Buck’s show began with him doing a sketch in Favre’s dressing room during which the host attempted to get Favre to promise he would not waver on his commitment to appear on the show. Favre had originally agreed to be Buck’s first guest last winter long before the show debuted and shortly after he had announced his second retirement after one season with the Jets. He flew in a private jet Monday afternoon from Hattiesburg, Miss., to New York.
After the opening, Buck got serious when Favre came on the set, asking a variety of questions that included whether Favre was concerned about tarnishing a legacy he established during his many years with the Packers.
“I think the 16 years that I spent in Green Bay speaks for itself,” said Favre, who will turn 40 on Oct. 10. “There are those people who are in your corner no matter what, you can’t do any wrong, even when you do wrong. And then there are those people that no matter what you do they are going to dislike you and that’s not going to change. And then there are the rest that don’t give a (rip). That’s true. ... It is what it is. Whether it’s right or it’s wrong who is to say? I’m trying my best not to fuel the fire even though I am. This is the first time I’ve spoken.”
As for returning to Lambeau Field as a member of the Vikings, Favre compared his situation to legendary coach Vince Lombardi going from the Packers to the Washington Redskins.
“I don’t hear too many people saying, ’That damn traitor, he went to Washington,”’ Favre said. “Time heals a lot of things and I have nothing but the highest regards for Green Bay and I mean that sincerely. Did some things happen there that may have ruffled the feathers for both sides? Yes. But, once again, the 16 years I spent there you can’t take away. I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.”