Brad Childress shed little light on the Brett Favre situation after his team completed an OTA practice today, but the Vikings coach did acknowledge that he talked to the retired quarterback last week.

Childress would not comment on if Favre told him anything about the surgery he reportedly had to repair a partially torn biceps tendon in his throwing (right) arm. Childress said he made the call to Favre, who many expect to end his second attempt at retirement to play for the Vikings this season.

A day after calling KFAN Radio and talking about the Favre situation, Childress did his best to dodge several questions on the topic. Childress told the station that “I’m anxious to see exactly what he’s got left in that cannon because he had a pretty good arm as we know.”

Childress, though, today said he isn’t that anxious about the situation. “I’m not losing sleep or anything,” he said. “I’m not on any mood elevators or anything like that. You always will want to see that, yeah.”

Childress would not say if he plans on going to see Favre throw the football. “That’s down the road stuff,” Childress said. “The guy is retired right now and you’d have to talk to him about that.” Childress reiterated that there was never a deadline of this week for Favre to make up his mind about playing this season. He also dodged a question about whether Favre would have final say on how his arm feels or if Childress would be the one making the ultimate decision after seeing the soon-to-be 40-year-old quarterback throw.

Asked if he weighed the possible distraction the Favre situation could cause, Childress said: “All you’re ever looking for is every day when you check the waiver wire, wherever you’re looking, wherever there are players that can make this roster one person better. We look at that every single day and every one is a completely different situation.”

Childress has watched film of the Jets games from last season when they played teams that the Vikings also faced. “Somewhere I saw him on tape, thoughout the course of the year, and obviously I know how he was throwing it early and how he was throwing it late,” he said. “Just like you evaluate all players that go to the waiver wire. How much film did we watch? I don’t know. Four or five games.”

Favre was very good early in the season but the biceps injury slowed him near the end of the year and cost the Jets a potential playoff berth.

Defensive end Jared Allen, asked about the situation, said: “It’s not my place. Honest to God. That’s coach’s decision and there are people that have that job. My job is whatever quarterback is opposing me, put him in the dirt. I honest to God do not worry about it. I don’t say I don’t care because obviously you care who your quarterback is but either way it’s going to be a good quarterback. I’m not too worried about it.” 

As for what Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels know about this situation, Childress said he really doesn’t talk to those two about Favre’s potential arrival. Jackson and Rosenfels have been expected to battle for the starting quarterback job in training camp. Childress’ response was interesting because in his KFAN interview he painted it as if Jackson and Rosenfels were in the loop.

“I really don’t,” talk to them about Favre, Childress said today. “Those guys play football and I coach football and look at personnel, as I mentioned before. So they’d be out of their lane and I’d be out of my lane in sharing any of our business. Whether it be surgery, injury, talking about other players. We just don’t do that. It’s more of a coaching relationship.”

This doesn’t make the situation any easier for Jackson, who also went through the Favre speculation last summer. “If you had to hear it year in and year out, all the time, eventually you’re going to be tired of it,” Jackson said. “But I guess it just comes with being the quarterback for the Vikings right now. It is what it is.”

Childress, for one, admitted he doesn’t know if Favre can still be a great quarterback. “[I] don’t know, [I] don’t know,” he said. “Stay tuned.” 

Notes

– The Vikings had been scheduled for their final two OTA practices on Monday and Tuesday, but Childress will end the OTA sessions after Friday’s practice. He often doesn’t use all of the 14 OTA dates the Vikings are allowed.

– Cornerback Antoine Winfield was again absent from Thursday’s practice. The OTAs are voluntary but Winfield stayed away from all of them and also missed the mandatory minicamp. This came after contract negotiations between Winfield and the Vikings broke down last month. Winfield is entering the final season of his contract. Childress said today he has not spoken to Winfield of late.

– In addition to Winfield, those absent from today’s voluntary workout were wide receivers Bernard Berrian and Bobby Wade and running back Chester Taylor. Taylor rarely, if ever, takes part in OTAs. Berrian and Wade both had prior commitments.

– Cornerback Asher Allen was in attendance at today’s workout but did not take part. Although Childress refused to acknowledge it last week, Allen underwent an arthroscopic procedure on one of his knees recently. He should be ready for training camp. 

– Cornerback Marcus McCauley, working with the first team in Winfield’s absence, picked off two Rosenfels passes during the 2-minute drill late in practice.

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