EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — While Brett Favre gave the impression Monday that he’s the one calling the shots when it comes to whether he plays for the Vikings this season, indications are that the team is going to want an answer from him about his future by the time training camp opens in late July.

The retired quarterback ended his months-long silence by admitting during an interview on HBO that he wants to play again, that the Vikings are the only team he’s talking to and that if his arm heals from arthroscopic surgery his second retirement will end like his first: without him missing a regular-season game.
The Vikings report to training camp July 29 and will begin practicing two days later. Players took a “you know as much as we do” approach to Favre questions when asked about him during offseason workouts. Turns out they weren’t kidding.
Linebacker Ben Leber, like most everyone else, said his ears perked up when he heard Favre refer to the Vikings as “we” during the interview.
“That really stuck in my mind because he’s already including himself,” Leber said Tuesday. “It sounds to me like if (his arm) really is healed and he can throw he will be joining us sometime in the future.”
Favre is well-known for giving long and winding answers that make it seem as if he is rambling. Don’t be fooled. If he has a point he wants to get across he’s going to drive it home with that southern drawl and aw-shucks smile.
Such was the case when Favre said he told Brad Childress he wouldn’t be showing up for offseason workouts, despite the fact the Vikings coach had requested his presence. Favre wouldn’t have been asked to throw — the fact his arm required surgery made that a nonissue — but Childress’ feeling was that having Favre in Minnesota in the spring would help alleviate some of the circus atmosphere that would exist if he didn’t arrive until training camp.
Childress also probably thought it would be good to have Favre spend time with his teammates, especially after he was criticized for not doing so during his one season with the Jets. It might sound trite, but chemistry is an important ingredient when it comes to the success of NFL teams. Childress’ request was not unreasonable, but it was denied.
Leber doesn’t feel that will result in any ill will. “He’s been in the league for so long and been through everything,” Leber said. “It’s not like we need him to be at (Organized Team Activities) and go through them to prove he’s a member of this team. We all know what OTAs are, and the fact that a potential Hall of Famer misses them is not that big of a deal.”
Missing training camp practices would be another thing, and it appears this might be where the Vikings have drawn the line. That would make sense considering the distraction the Favre watch could become, not to mention that at some point this team might have to make a commitment to Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels as its starter.
“I would like to see this resolved by at least the end of the first week of training camp,” Leber said, actually allowing more leeway than his employer might. “If it’s not resolved by the end of the first week I would hate to see it drag on any further. We’re only down in Mankato for two weeks and realistically have only 14 or 16 days before our first preseason game. After that first week, we start to taper things down and get into the mindset of playing a game in the coming days. I’d love to see everything resolved before then for the sake of our team chemistry and for the sake of the quarterback situation. It would seem unfair for (Jackson and Rosenfels) to ask them to battle it out and get ready for the game while this is going on.”
Right now, however, the Vikings appear willing to let Favre call the shots as he decides whether the procedure to repair the partially torn right biceps in his throwing arm will enable him to return for a 19th NFL season. He underwent the surgery 2› weeks ago and was told he should know if it was successful in four to five weeks. That means the clock is definitely ticking.
As for any answers from the Vikings organization in the wake of the Favre interview, a team spokesman said Tuesday there were no plans to make any comment. Owner Zygi Wilf, vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman and Childress will get a chance to clear up things Wednesday night when the franchise holds its first “State of the Vikings” event for season-ticket holders at the State Theatre in downtown Minneapolis.
Many will be interested in what they have to say.
“It’s interesting in the fact there has been all this speculation about whether we are even interested in him,” Leber said. “Then all of a sudden it feels like it jumps 10 steps from his comments (on HBO). If coach Childress wanted him to come to OTAs it sounds like a done deal.”