Fatigued Favre cuts down practice snaps with Jets
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Brett Favre took it easy on his rocket right arm after firing a few duds earlier in the day.
"No pain, but I'm 38 years old," the Jets quarterback said Wednesday. "It's going to be fatigued a little bit."
Favre took noticeably fewer snaps in the evening practice after earlier saying he would talk to coach Eric Mangini about limiting his throws.
"My arm's kind of dragging a little bit today," Favre said after the team's morning session. "It's not really sore, but just fatigued. To be honest with you, I'm surprised that, I don't want to say I feel good, that I've been able to make it through every practice so far."
Favre misfired on a handful of throws in the morning practice, short-hopping some tosses, throwing behind — or over — his receivers on others.
"I felt 38 today," Favre said. "I'm not going to lie to you."
Favre was acquired from the Green Bay Packers last Wednesday night, and has been practicing with the Jets since Saturday. He's set to start Saturday's preseason game against the Washington Redskins.
"My arm, for the most part, has felt great," Favre said. "Legs, a little bit fatigued. You've got to figure I'm a little bit behind some of these guys."
Favre opened 11-on-11 drills in the late practice, his sixth since joining the Jets a week ago, by zipping his first throw into Chansi Stuckey's hands for a touchdown, his arm showing little sign of being tired.
While Brett Ratliff and Kellen Clemens took some of the snaps he normally would take, Favre watched intently from the sideline and occasionally chatted with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and quarterbacks coach Brian Daboll.
Favre came up short working the 2-minute offense near the end of practice, throwing incomplete on fourth-and-3 to Stuckey on a pass that was defended well by Drew Coleman.
He ended the morning session on a good note, hitting Brad Smith on a fourth-down play for 53 yards — about 45 in the air — down the right sideline for a touchdown.
"He still has it," tight end Bubba Franks said. "I think you can ask the receivers, he still has it."
Favre retired in March, but then decided he still wanted to play. After a messy divorce with Green Bay, the Packers traded him to New York.
