Childress talks Favre ... kind of and sort of

Brad Childress had numerous opportunities Thursday to end the ongoing speculation that Brett Favre will wind up in Minnesota. The Vikings coach did no such thing.

Nearly three weeks after last addressing a topic that gained plenty of steam in the days thereafter, Childress remained vague when discussing the status of the currently retired quarterback.

"You're always interested in investigating," Childress said. "I'll stand by what I said last time [he met with the media on May 1]. That you discuss it, you're interested in going through the process. And are you interested in a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback? You're always interested in going through the process and discussing it and investigating it. ... It was worth a conversation, and as far as I know he's still retired."

Childress admitted he has had phone conversations with Favre -- "just like I did last year [and] three months ago" -- but said the last was several weeks ago. "He's retired, so it's not relevant and it's not any of my focus right now," said Childress, who added at one point that "I'm not spending any time on [Favre]."

The possibility of Favre ending his second attempt at retirement to join the Vikings became a reality on April 28 when the New York Jets released him from their reserve/retired list. Favre, who will turn 40 in October, had called it quits in February after one season with the Jets in part because of a partially torn biceps in his throwing (right) arm. He spent the previous 16 seasons with Green Bay putting together a résumé that is sure to earn him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Vikings President Mark Wilf acknowledged his team's interest in Favre on May 11 during a team-related event in Marshall, Minn. Since that time ESPN has reported that Favre consulted with renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews regarding options for healing his biceps tendon without undergoing surgery. Childress declined to confirm another report that the Vikings received X-rays and other medical information on Favre's shoulder, and would not say if there is a certain date by which the Vikings need to have an answer from Favre about his plans.

"I am not [thinking about] the, 'What ifs? What ifs? What ifs?'" Childress said.

Asked why he didn't close the door on the Favre situation -- if it is indeed dead -- Childress said: "Because I think you take every situation as it comes along. For me to stand here and say something is going to happen I don't know. I just don't know. It's all hypothetical, and I just think we've got to the point where we hypothetically ask a question that we have to have an answer to. ... So the question becomes the story, and you can write volumes on it one side or the other.

"Again, it's not something that I'm entertaining and I'm more focused on the guys that are part of this football team,'' Childress added. "That's what I put all my energy into right now."

Meanwhile, Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels split reps during the Vikings' third session of Organized Team Activities on Thursday. Jackson and Rosenfels, acquired from Houston in February, are expected to vie for the starting job. That is if Favre doesn't enter the picture.

"There's only so many things I can control in life, and I can't control that," Rosenfels said.

Jackson went through a similar situation last summer when Favre attempted to force his release from the Packers -- he had retired in March 2008 -- in an attempt to play for the Vikings.

"I totally understand," the Vikings' interest,'' Jackson said. "You can't really blame them. [Favre is] a great player and a future Hall of Famer. The team we have and the guys we have around us, why not? But I feel like I can get the job done, and I'm just trying to get better each day. That's my job right now."

Jackson and Rosenfels both admitted they aren't being kept up to date on the Favre situation. Neither seemed overly concerned about that, although Jackson admitted a little insight might be nice.

"You want to know, but at the same time you kind of understand the business side of it and that's not really their job to inform you of all that stuff," he said. "They don't ask us who they to draft or we'd like to draft, so I don't expect them to ask us who we'd like to pick up in free agency or whatever. You would definitely like to know because it's a crazy game, it's a crazy league. If this one guy comes, you never know what might happen with your career. But you do like to know."

Star Tribune writer Judd Zulgad questioned QBs Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels about their situations. Read their answers at startribune.com/vikings.