Bears players skeptical of Favre retirement talk
BOURBONNAIS - Maybe because they've heard Brett Favre cry retirement twice before, but the general feeling among the Bears is that they really don't believe it - or they just don't care - at least for now.
"I could care less one way or the other," defensive end Julius Peppers said. "We're still going to play that team twice, and we're going to try to beat the Vikings whether he's there or not. So, if he comes back fine, if he doesn't, fine too."
No one honestly believes the Vikings will be better without the future first-ballot Hall of Famer, but no one thinks the Vikings will be a pushover with Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback.
"It's still a good team with or without him," Peppers said. "They're still going to have a team. They're going to compete. We'll see."
Bears coach Lovie Smith has his own team to worry about. And he's got eight opponents to game plan for before the Bears meet the Vikings for the first time on Nov. 14 at Soldier Field.
"They're not the first team on our schedule," said Smith, whose team opens against the Lions on Sept. 12. "Brett Favre's good for our game. He's one of the all-time great players. But I haven't spent a whole lot of time thinking about it really."
Bears players aren't ready to envision a Vikings team without Favre, even if the Vikings have to.
"The Vikings have got to go on," said Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris. "We have to worry about getting the Bears right. I'll miss competing against him, though. The guy has played a long time and done a lot of great things for this league. But I still think he'll be back. I know him."
Harris doesn't think Favre will stay away after posting a 107.2 passer rating last year, the best of his 19-year career. Favre's 33-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio was also the best of his career.
"I know him," Harris said. "If he would have had a bad year last year, I would think he would retire. But he won't end on that note, I don't believe."
Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, who has competed against Favre for seven years, believes he'll face him on the field again.
"I won't believe it until I see Tarvaris Jackson starting against us," Briggs said.
Bears running back Chester Taylor, who spent the last four seasons in Minnesota, knows a Vikings team minus Favre is a good thing for his current team, and he can hope - but he's not ready to rule him out.
"I hope he doesn't come back," Taylor said. "I mean, he had a great career. But he's our opponent now, and it'll benefit us if he doesn't come back. But if he does, I wish him all the luck."