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"For now. ..."

Citing a source close to the Vikings, Yahoo! Sports staffer Rick Schwartz first reported Thursday afternoon that retired quarterback Brett Favre informed the Vikings by phone he would not be making a comeback.

The call apparently took place sometime after Wednesday afternoon and before Vikings head coach Brad Childress was reportedly to go to Mississippi to meet with Favre about joining the Vikings.

According to Minneapolis Star-Tribune beat writer Judd Zulgad, the call apparently is what caused Childress to cancel a trip to discuss the situation with Favre.

Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, continued to deny knowledge of any interaction between his client and the Vikings.

"I don't know if Brett and Brad Childress talked today or not," Cook told USA Today on Wednesday. "Right now, Brett's retired. That's all I know. As far as I know, nothing's changed.

"Brett said he doesn't know how all this stuff (about a comeback) got started."

Cook also knew of no plans for Favre to explain publicly his decision to remain retired, as was reported by Schwartz.

Bedard believes the Vikings likely would push Favre to make such a statement to help with damage control. After their brief flirtation with Favre, the Vikings are left with Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson as their quarterbacks.

And now, as ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert suggests, Jackson and Rosenfels are going to have to grow some thick skin, if they don't have it already. Seifert believes Rosenfels would be especially justified in feeling "tossed around."

The Vikings acquired him in February, extended his contract and told him he would compete for the starting job. Before he even took a practice snap -- organized team activities don't begin until May 19 -- they were already looking to replace him.

And neither man should assume Favre won't have another change of heart.

Bedard, citing unnamed league sources, reports tonight the interest on both sides was very real and still might be.

Even more intriguing? None of Bedard's sources would confirm the Yahoo! report. In fact, two said they were "still waiting to see what happens." Indeed, things could easily change.

Remember, it wasn't until June that Favre really started to get the itch to play again last year.

Even Cook wouldn't close the door completely.

"Like anyone else," Cook told ESPN's Rachel Nichols, "he could always change his mind in the future about retiring. But I haven't heard anything from him that that's the case."

I'll go ahead and remind you (as I pointed out in an earlier News & Views item) that Cook does a masterful Sargent Schultz impersonation (check the 1:15 mark).

I also tend to agree with Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, who summed things up like this earlier tonight: "We still think that there's more to this one than meets the eye. Maybe he wants more money than the Vikings will pay. Or maybe he doesn't want to participate in OTAs -- why would he be talking about hiring an unemployed quarterbacks coach if he were thinking of plunging head first into underwear practices in Minnesota?

"So we're not ready to believe that anything is final on this one. ..."

SportingNews.com's Dennis Dillon put an even finer point on it: "The scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz was more decisive -- and he didn't have a brain. Favre has a mind, all right. He just keeps changing it. ..."

So let's go ahead and leave it like this: Let's say Favre-Watch 2009 is on hold. ... At this time.

UPDATE (that didn't take long): 8 May, 2009 at 13:00 PT: According to ESPNews, Favre to Vikings is still alive! The latest word is X-rays of the QB's shoulder have been sent to Vikings officials, who will evaluate the health of his throwing arm. If there are no major problems, "they could still get him."