Brett Favre Hopes Ankle Heals for Patriots Game

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre is not ruling himself out of playing the New England Patriots in the NFL on Sunday despite two fractures in his left ankle.

The 41-year-old Favre wore a large, gray walking boot on his left leg to the podium for his regular news conference on Wednesday, and he said he doesn't anticipate participating in a full practice at all this week.

Favre said he's always had a knack for healing quickly, which gives him hope he'll play on Sunday.

Favre was hurt in Sunday's loss to the Green Bay Packers, and an exam revealed a stress fracture in the ankle as well as an "avulsion" fracture in the heel bone, where a fragment has been torn away by a tendon or ligament. He doesn't need surgery, and he said after consulting with doctors he's confident he can't make the injury worse by playing.

Since taking over as the starter for the Packers in 1992, Favre has played through all kinds of pain — including a broken thumb — and not once has he sat out. His NFL-record streak is at 291 consecutive games started, 315 including the playoffs.

Favre, though, insisted he won't put his pride in the record over the sake of the team.

"I'm very proud of the streak, but it probably should have ended a long time ago," Favre said, adding: "Whether it ends this week or it ends at the end of the year, it ends, and I will always be proud of it."

Favre is also the subject of an NFL investigation into allegations that he sent lewd photographs and suggestive messages to a female New York Jets employee in 2008, a development that first put his streak in danger with the possibility of a suspension under the league's personal conduct policy.

Favre said the injury hasn't made him consider retiring and that he's fully committed to finishing the season.

"There's still a lot of football left. We've dug ourselves a hole here. We all know that, for whatever reason," Favre said. "This could easily be an injury where I could say, 'I'm going to slip under the radar. See you later. Easy out.' And people may think that. I want to play, and I want to help this team win. I owe that to the guys. I owe that to myself."

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