Brett Favre Retirement Reports Get Murky

MANKATO, Minn. - Brett Favre won’t return to the Minnesota Vikings for his 20th NFL season, and is likely to retire from football for a third time, NFL sources told the Star Tribune’s Judd Zulgad .

According to the report, Vikings personnel were informed late Monday that Favre planned to retire. The Vikings were on the practice field Tuesday morning in Mankato. Head coach Brad Childress held a press conference shortly after 11 a.m. in which he disputed an Associated Press report that he spoke on the phone with Favre, who said he planned to retire.

Childress said Favre "can still whip it," whether in the backyard with his daughter or on a high school football field in Mississippi. The coach said he has frequently spoken to Favre, but the subjects of those calls have been more about the progress of the team.

ESPN reported Favre sent Vikings players a text message announcing his plans to retire, which read, "This is it."

“We text back and forth all the time,” Childress said. “And our players, as teammates – those guys text back all the time, so I’m not aware of any of those reports. Obviously, I’ve been out here the last three hours or so.”

Childress said if something does happen, he’s sure Favre will be in communication.

Vikings fans may be hesitant to jump to conclusions with Favre, however, as the quarterback waited until after the first 2009 preseason game to join the Vikings in Winter Park.

Video: Favre arriving at Winter Park on Aug. 18, 2009

Brett's clues

On July 29, ESPN's Jim Rome reported Favre's wife Deanna renewed her membership at a Twin Cities health club for another year. Patrick Reusse of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reported an "inside source" at Lifetime Fitness in Edina informed him Deanna renewed her memebership for the upcoming year.

Archive: Favre a Football Messiah or Drama King?

Favre to Retire a 3rd Time | Story originally published on MyFoxTwinCities.com