MMRA total of eight patients grace the halls of the MMR this morning and that does not include one special guest: Mr. Brett Favre himself.

Yes, that Brett Favre. The one who retires what seems like every season now. And the one who, despite that retirement, keeps coming back.

OK so he has only really retired once. But there is so much media coverage, rumors and gossip surrounding this guy that is seems like we have been through this song-and-dance for the last 20 years.

Now, it appears that Favre is going to unretire and play for the Minnesota Vikings this year.

Of course, nothing is every official with Favre. But, according to ESPN, Favre opted for arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder earlier this spring, a sign that he appears very serious about playing football again this season. There have been some setbacks following the procedure, but none of them have been medical: He apparently has had some trouble throwing a football.

If he can get his arm back in rhythm, I fully expect to see him in purple this summer. Get ready for Favre-mania!

Brian Westbrook [RB, Eagles]

From The EndZoneView:

The Eagles leading rusher will undergo surgery to remove bone spurs in his ankle, with a time-table of three months of rehab.  So, say goodbye to any training camp or pre-season action.

Damaging news on the fantasy front for Westy.

Every season, the injury-prone label hangs around Westbrook even if he has played through injuries for most of the last few seasons. Now, it is out in the open for everyone to see during the offseason. I expect a rapid drop in Westy’s average draft position (ADP) over the next few weeks. I think it is safe to say he is no longer a 1st-round draft pick in fantasy leagues later this summer.

Larry Fitzgerald [WR, Cardinals]

From RotoWorld:

Fitz’s legs twisted, and he limped away. He returned to practice after receiving clearance from the head trainer. Fitzgerald declined to expand on the injury, saying only that he was fine and will receive treatment.

Oooh, scary. Talk about a headline if Fitz went down with a serious injury.

Andre Johnson would have stepped into the No. 1 fantasy wide receiver prospect spot but not as swimmingly as Fitz. While Johnson is supremely talented, staying on the field has been a problem for him as well in the past. I doubt fantasy owners would be half as confident in his ability to lead teams this year compared to Fitzgerald.

Ben Roethlisberger [QB, Steelers]

From ProFootballTalk:

According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Roethlisberger quit in the middle of a Wednesday morning practice after hurting his left knee.  He reportedly “limped heavily” around the field, and he still was limping an hour after suffering the injury.

Everything checked out OK for Big Ben according to all reports, but this bears some monitoring.

Let’s face it: Roethlisberger has not exactly been kept collision-free by the Pittsburgh offensive line the last few seasons. He is a tough dude, but how much more of a beating can his body continue to take?

Matt Forte [RB, Bears]

From RotoWorld:

Matt Forte was reportedly diagnosed with a hamstring strain, and it’s not believed to be serious.

Forte later had an MRI on the leg, but the results have not been made public. The good news here is that Forte does not make it sound like a serious injury, so fantasy owners who have been taking Forte in the upper reaches of the first round in mock drafts can breathe a sigh of relief.

His ascension to the top of the fantasy rankings in just his second season has been remarkable. While Adrian Peterson remains the consensus No. 1 fantasy prospect, I have seen Forte go No. 1 overall in some mock drafts. He will need to remain injury-free this summer to stay near the top of the first round of fantasy drafts.

Tom Brady [QB, Patriots]

From ProFootballTalk:

The doctor whose repair of quarterback Tom Brady’s ACL and MCL introduced an infection that required multiple follow-up procedures and six weeks of intravenous antibiotics says that Brady’s overall rehab has gone better than expected.

Dr. Neal ElAttrache tells Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times that Brady “even exceeded what I thought he was going to be able to do, and I was expecting big things from him.”

More good news about Brady and the knee. This likely will keep fantasy owners’ confidence in Brady high the next few months, although he remains pretty firmly entrenched as the No. 3 fantasy quarterback prospect behind Drew Brees and Peyton Manning.

If Brady is going to move ahead of Manning and/or Brees, he will need to have a pretty remarkable camp. And face it, I doubt the Patriots unleash him to the degree necessary for a huge jump in ADP.

Joseph Addai [RB, Colts]

From ProFootballTalk:

While Vinatieri had hip surgery earlier this week and is expected to be ready for the regular season, Colts starting running back Joseph Addai disclosed that he had arthroscopic knee surgery, according to Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

“Got it cleaned out,” Addai told the Star. ”It’s feeling good right now.”

Arthroscopic procedures are generally pretty mild. Not to compare injuries — because I really have no idea what the doctor did in Addai’s case — but it took me three-to-four weeks last spring to get back to full speed after an arthroscopic procedure on my right knee.

Addai has even more on his plate to deal with, however, than this injury. The Colts drafted Donald Brown in the first round of this year’s draft to help Addai in the backfield. The bad news there is that Brown will steal some of Addai’s precious playing time in a high-octane offense, which surely will damage his fantasy stock this summer.

Pierre Thomas [RB, Saints]

From ProFootballTalk:

New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas is choosing to be cautious after suffering a bruised left wrist during Saturday’s practice.

Thomas dislocated the same wrist during Week 15 last season and had to undergo surgery. He didn’t participate in the team portion of the Saints’ practice today.

This is an injury that bears vigilant monitoring by fantasy owners. Thomas said he experienced excruciating pain when hit and that the wrist swelled like a ballon. Those typically are not run-of-the-mill, ticky-tack type injuries.

If it affects Thomas at all, it will be evident during training camp and preseason. Watch for fumbles. And if he cannot hold onto the ball, the Saints’ coaching staff is not going to run him out there in crucial spots this year.

Michael Crabtree [WR, 49ers]

From ProFootballTalk:

According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, Crabtree ran about a dozen 40-yard sprints at three-quarters speed. Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat noted that Crabtree was taking slow and steady strides while five members of the 49ers’ staff closely monitored his movements.

The 49ers are playing it safe — smart — with Crabtree. No need to rush him back from injury in his first year on the job.

He can use this “down” time to study the playbook and build some chemistry with his teammates by being there with the team. It sounds like he will be back on the field relatively soon and — hopefully — fantasy owners will get a chance to see him take the field this preseason.

The MMR will continue to run every Monday morning as scheduled during the offseason. If you have an injury update or want an update on a certain player, please leave a note in the comments.

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