Favre reportedly had cortisone shot

There are more indications that Brett Favre is looking to make a comeback. This time, he reportedly took a cortisone shot to see if that helps his ailing shoulder.

The Brett Favre saga took another twist. This time, NFL Network is reporting that Favre had a cortisone shot in his right (throwing) shoulder and confirmed reports that he was throwing a ball last week.

Favre suffered a partially torn biceps tendon in his right shoulder during the 2008 season, when he was playing for the New York Jets, and that injury is believed to have contributed to his ineffectiveness in the final five games of the season.

After the season, he indicated that he was retiring (again), but he asked for his release from the Jets after they drafted Mark Sanchez with the fifth overall pick. That was the second time Favre asked for his release, and it was granted then.

According to numerous reports, it appears the only team Favre would consider playing for is the Minnesota Vikings. He has reportedly told sources that he would like to stick it to Packers general manager Ted Thompson and also believes the Vikings offer him a strong supporting cast of players to succeed.

But, before he can make his comeback, he needs to have the pain in his shoulder subside. By throwing the ball, he might be hoping that the tendon would tear completely, which is supposed to decrease the swelling and discomfort.

Arthroscopic surgery is believed to be an option for Favre as well, but that would likely put him out of commission until training camp. But, at this point, judging from a multitude of reports, it doesn’t appear that Favre would be ready to throw for the Vikings until training camp no matter what path he takes in trying to get his shoulder right.

“We know from earlier conversations that Favre has always preferred to avoid surgery,” NFL.com reported. “The fact that he resumed throwing and had a recent cortisone shot supports the line of thinking that surgery is indeed a last resort for Favre. As for what’s next, it looks as if both he and the Vikings are in the process of evaluating the situation.”

NFL Network analyst Steve Mariucci, who admitted that Brett Favre was one of his favorite players to coach during his tenure in the NFL, said in a chat Tuesday that the Vikings would be the favorite to win the NFC North again with Favre. Without him, he thinks Chicago is the favorite.

Favre would give the Vikings some balance in their offensive attack, Mariucci indicated.

“With a dangerous QB like Favre, and the threat of (rookie WR Percy) Harvin to keep defenses honest, they'll be a better football team because of his presence,” Mariucci wrote. “Often times, what coaches do, they'll run the offense that they think will be successful for them. They lean toward the run game for a reason. They like to play that way because that's the way the Vikings are built. Opening up the playbook means throwing the ball more, but you don't forget about AP (Adrian Peterson). Having Brett would allow them to have a constant passing threat, forcing defenses to pay attention to both. They would be explosive with Favre.”