Now that LeBron mania has finally come to an end, it is time for Favre watch to begin in earnest. Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress has made his now-annual pilgrimmage to Mississippi to see if his indecisive quarterback will suit up for another season.

People are understandably tired of this saga by now, although there is little else for football fans to talk about during the offseason. Brett Favre’s behavior is not totally inexplicable, however. For the last three seasons, he has played at a high enough level to know that his goal — getting one more Super Bowl ring before he retires — is at least theoretically attainable. Each of those seasons, he fell short of his goal and has to ask himself if there is enough gas left in the tank for one more or whether he should go out near the top of his game.

After a strong start, Favre ultimately had a disappointing 9-7 season with the New York Jets. But his game fell apart after he tore the bicep in his throwing arm. Once his arm was surgically repaired and felt good, it was a no-brainer to sign with a team like the Minnesota Vikings — clearly always his preferred post-Packers destination — if they’d have him. This year is a little tougher. Favre led the Vikings to a 12-4 record and the NFC title game while throwing 33 touchdowns to just 7 interceptions and completing 68.4 percent of his passes. That NFC championship interception aside, Favre could easily say he’s retiring on top of his game now. Yet Favre still clearly has the desire to play. It just remains to be seen whether his ankle has other ideas.