Associated Press
The NFL notebook …
MINNEAPOLIS ó Is Brett Favre healthy and hungry enough to end his retirement again? And how badly do the Minnesota Vikings want him?
The questions and confusion continued Friday.
ESPN, again citing unnamed sources, reported X-rays of Favre’s injured right shoulder have been sent to the Vikings for evaluation. The network said Favre will play for Minnesota if it’s determined he doesn’t need major surgery. If he does, according to the source, he’ll stay retired.
But Favre’s agent, Bus Cook, told a different ESPN reporter he was unaware of any X-rays being sent to the team. Cook reiterated that the famously fickle quarterback has not told him he wants to come back for a 19th NFL season.
“Brett would have to be mentally ready to go play, physically ready to go play, and want to go play,” Cook told the network, “and I’m not sure all three of those things are there right now.”
Favre’s torn biceps tendon has caused pain in his shoulder, part of the reason he struggled down the stretch. He threw nine interceptions over the last five games and needed a cortisone injection after one of them.
COWBOYSDALLAS ó The Texas Board of Professional Engineers is investigating the collapse of the Dallas Cowboys’ indoor practice facility, the agency’s spokesman said Friday.
Lance Kinney said the board has opened several lines of inquiry related to the failure of the membrane-style building, which fell Saturday during heavy winds and injured 12 people, but declined to discuss details.
One of the injured people was permanently paralyzed when the 88,000-square-foot structure collapsed during what the National Weather Service described as a microburst ó a downdraft of 70 mph or more.
RAIDERSALAMEDA, Calif. ó Darrius Heyward-Bey ran an inside route against Nnamdi Asomugha only to see the pass from JaMarcus Russell broken up by the Raiders’ All-Pro cornerback.
“I came back and I just went, ‘All right. I’m not in college any more,”‘ Heyward-Bey said.
Heyward-Bey began his indoctrination into the NFL on Friday at the first day of Oakland’s mandatory minicamp, showing signs of the big-play ability that attracted the Raiders, and the inexperience he has to overcome after leaving college a year early.
BRONCOSENGLEWOOD, Colo. ó The Denver Broncos have signed free agent running back Darius Walker.
Denver announced the deal on Friday.Walker signed with the Houston Texans as a free agent in 2007 and played four games, rushing for 264 yards on 58 carries and catching 13 passes for 81 yards.
RAMSST. LOUIS ó The St. Louis Rams have released veteran linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa, the team’s leading tackler last season.
Coach Steve Spagnuolo made the surprise announcement in a statement released on Friday, calling it a “difficult decision based on a lot of factors.” He did not elaborate.
Tinoisamoa is a six-year veteran who led the team with 135 tackles in 2008.