Favre working toward comeback?

Quarterback Brett Favre appears to be taking another step toward his comeback, working with a renowned surgeon to get his shoulder back in playing shape, according to ESPN.

Summer must be coming. Brett Favre appears to be stepping up his attempts at another “unretirement” ceremony, according to report on ESPN.

The station and web site, citing an anonymous source, reported that Favre has consulted with orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews about options for getting his torn biceps tendon in his right shoulder in good enough condition to play this year.

“The source said Andrews and Favre experimented with one of several exercises that could accelerate the process of the tendon releasing on its own,” the report said.

Earlier reports said that if Favre was able to recover enough from the injury in his throwing shoulder, he would only play for the Vikings. Of course, last summer the Vikings were accused of tampering with Favre when he was still the property of the Green Bay Packers. The Packers had decided to move on with Aaron Rodgers as their starter and drafted two quarterbacks since Favre had announced his retirement. In July, however, Favre decided he wanted to come back and since the Packers didn’t want to offer him a starting job again, they decided to trade him.

Eventually that trade happened, to the New York Jets, and a clause was inserted that said the Jets would have to surrender three first-round picks if they turned around and traded Favre to the Vikings.

This offseason, Favre ask for and was granted his release by the Jets, sparking a fresh round of reports that he would sign with the Vikings if his shoulder allowed him to play in 2009.

If the exercises he was doing with Andrews fail “to produce the desired results, it remains uncertain whether Favre would endure even arthroscopic surgery to prolong his career to a 19th season. A source close to Favre described that as an option but a projected 3-6 week rehabilitation is unappealing to the quarterback, who will apparently require no therapy if the tendon can be forced to tear through the exercise regimen,” the ESPN report said.

The Vikings start their organized team activities on May 19 with their official minicamp from May 29-31.