No one probably knows whether Brett Favre, 40, will return to play another season with the Vikings next year, but that doesn’t mean Favre and his teammates don’t think about it.
Defensive tackle Pat Williams, 37, told Sports Headliners he and Favre ask each other about coming back for another season. If either gives a specific answer about playing in 2010, Williams wasn’t saying on Wednesday.
Williams has one year left on his contract and hinted that a Vikings win in the Super Bowl could be his cue to call it a career. Leave the game “smiling,” he said.
Favre signed a two year contract last summer for the Vikings, so contractually another year is potentially in place. He hasn’t made a public statement about intentions for 2010 and probably doesn’t know himself if he wants to continue playing.
The Vikings have three regular season games remaining and the playoffs ahead. Too much time to have a decision yet, but close enough to make next year an interesting subject.
Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell, 35, and Favre are good friends. The two played together in Green Bay and it’s fortunate for them they are back on the same team together.
Longwell said it’s premature to talk about a Favre return but was asked to make a guess. “I would honestly say I am 50-50,” he said. “Split down the middle. I could totally justify both ways. I would hope he would come back. But I can honestly see how he’d had a great year and be done with it. …I just think it’s too early to start talking about that because we’ve got a lot of football to play left. It may change everything.”
The factor that seemingly would drive Favre into retirement is the punishment of playing football and perhaps a career ending injury. Longwell said obviously a 40-year- old body doesn’t recover “like it did at 20.”
But Favre loves to play football. “I know he’s having fun,” Longwell said. “He likes the group (his teammates) and that goes a long way.”
Longwell is enjoying the season, too, and likes his teammates. He has made 22 of 23 field goals, 95.7 percent, the best percentage of his pro career which began in 1997.
But at 35 he can’t be certain the club will want him back. He has one year remaining on his contract but said the Vikings (at the franchise’s option) must pay him a bonus in March to lock up his return next season.
Longwell believes he has a “bunch of good years” remaining. “I certainly don’t feel like I am on the downward swing at all,” he said.