Brett Favre returns for 20th NFL season

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Quarterback Brett Favre said Wednesday he's shaking off an ankle injury and is returning to the Minnesota Vikings for a 20th NFL season.

Favre, meeting with reporters at the Vikings' Winter Park headquarters in suburban Minneapolis, said he's foregoing retirement and instead made a "tough choice" to come back for one more year after taking the team to the NFC title game against the New Orleans Saints last season.

"It was very tough, obviously. I can make a case for both playing/not playing," Favre said. "It was really about the team. Believe me, when I left New Orleans, a big part of me was -- I don't want to say done, but the fact that we lost that game -- it's hard to make people understand."

Favre has famously struggled with decisions on whether or not to retire in each of the last two seasons, with injuries playing a role each time. He hurt his ankle in the New Orleans game and had surgery to remove scar tissue and bone spurs from it in the off-season.

Favre said although the procedure wasn't 100 percent successful, he ultimately decided he was healthy enough to play.

"I needed surgery three years ago on my ankle. It's a chronic ankle," Favre said. "I had a visit with Dr. (James) Andrews last Thursday. Surprisingly, a new spur had already surfaced in the new X-ray.

"Fact is, it's just something I have to deal with. There is a little bit more range of motion since the surgery, but we're not talking about a lot."