According to a report by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Vikings will sign free agent quarterback Brett Favre if he’ll agree to a contract that is largely incentive-based.
Yes, this is it: If Favre is willing to sign a contract with an option that will determine his pay based on how he performs and how much he plays, the Wilf family will go all out to add Favre to the team. The contract will not be guaranteed. It could have some good incentive clauses that will pay Favre well if he can perform like he did in 2007, when he led the Packers to a 13-3 record and was an intercepted pass away from going to the Super Bowl. On the other hand, if he fails to produce, he will get paid for just the time he was with the team. With the economy as poor as it is, the Wilfs aren’t going to sign Favre to a guaranteed contract and then find out he can’t perform. But they are willing to pay him big money if he can produce.
Once Favre agrees to that option clause in the contract, some coaches will meet the 39-year-old star here or at a mutually decided site, and he will work out to demonstrate to the coaches that his recent shoulder surgery was a success and he is ready to perform in the NFL like he did in the first eight games last year for the Jets until he was injured. Of course, he will have to pass a normal physical.
This is news, but then it isn’t. Of course the Vikings would sign Favre if he would agree to an incentive-based deal – why wouldn’t they? They would be signing a player they want, all while protecting themselves in the process.
It’ll definitely be interesting to see if Favre would be willing to play on an incentive-based deal. If he truly just wants to play for the love of the game (and stick to Packers’ GM Ted Thompson as he’s already indicated) then he should be willing to accept a deal in which he only gets paid if he plays and/or performs well. If he wouldn’t be willing to do that, then I question his motives for wanting to return.
