Report: Favre would need surgery to play

Brett Favre’s decision on whether or not to play in 2010 just got a little more dicey. His ankle hasn’t healed from a high-low hit he took in New Orleans and surgery would be required to play again, according to ESPN.

Brett Favre will need surgery on his left ankle to play in 2010, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder. According to the report, Favre was told by respected surgeon Dr. James Andrews that he must have surgery on his ankle if he wants to play this season.

Favre is still deciding whether or not he will play.

Favre limped off the field during the NFC Championship game against the New Orleans Saints after taking a high-low hit, but he returned to the game after getting taped on the sidelines and didn't miss any offensive plays.

“It continued to be swollen and painful all these months afterward,” Werder reported. “We’re three months past the game now. That prompted Favre to go have some tests performed to determine why it was in this bad condition still.”

With the results of those test forwarded to Andrews, the doctor’s opinion is that surgery is a must if Favre is going to play.

“To play again I would need the surgery as I suspected,” Favre wrote in an e-mail to Werder. “This decision would be easy if not for my teammates and the fans and the entire Vikings staff. One year truly felt like 10, much like Green Bay for many years. That’s what I was missing in my heart I suppose, a sense of belonging.”

Werder said Favre wouldn’t reveal the exact diagnose or timeline on any surgery he might have.

If Favre has the operation, it would be a clear sign that he intends to come back for another season, but his status is up in the air and the ankle hasn’t sufficiently healed on its own with rest.

There is no telling at this point how invasive the surgery will be. If it is an arthroscopic procedure, he would likely be healed in a month or so. If it is a more complicated procedure, he may require months of rehab. Given Favre’s aversion to surgery, that could end up be a deal-breaker.

This could set up a similar timetable to Favre’s decision last year on whether or not to have surgery on his partially torn biceps tendon. He did have surgery in May and signed with the Vikings on Aug. 18.

Brad Childress is expected to be available after the Vikings rookie minicamp this afternoon.

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