As Brett Favre left the interview room that is one story below Mall of America Field but positioned inside the Metrodome on Saturday night, the quarterback moved at what seemed to be a turtle-like pace.
Favre's surgically repaired left ankle was clearly giving him some trouble. In fact, he told Peter King of Sports Illustrated that he received an injection of lubricant in the ankle after his night was done.
Favre went into some detail about the third surgery he has undergone on that ankle since he began playing in NFL. He told King that during the arthrosopic procedure that was performed by Dr. James Andrews in late May that two incisions were made on the top of his left ankle and loose bodies were sucked out.
Favre's wife, Deanna, watched as doctors took out what Brett Favre called "a cup full of stuff." This included bone and other loose bodies. Yet, a significant spur already has returned. Despite this pain, Favre no longer takes pain killers and the expectation, according to King, is that the strongest thing he will ingest is Motrin. (Favre's addiction to Vicodin in the 1990s has been well documented.)
Favre told King he doesn't know if he can last the season, although the NFL's ironman says that every year and yet gets his hand stepped on in a preseason game (which happened Saturday) and never comes out.
"I don't know. I have no idea, really," Favre said. "My ankle just seems to get easier to sprain. I know everyone thinks the New Orleans game [the NFC Championship Game] killed me, but it was bad before then. Now we'll see if I can make it. My mind's telling me one thing, but my body's telling me something else."
