The five or six of you who still weren’t convinced that Brett Favre will play in Minnesota this season should all be swayed now. Chris Mortensen’s report that Favre submitted to ankle surgery Friday morning should be all the evidence you need.

It’s pretty doubtful the surgery-adverse Favre would have had the procedure now if he planned to retire. And while the calendar suggests his six-week recovery period would allow for an on-time training camp appearance, Vikings coach Brad Childress has strongly implied Favre could repeat last year’s mid-August arrival.

To me, the only drama remaining in FavreWatch 2010 is how his near-certain training camp absence will be characterized: An excused absence or a player who officially hasn’t determined his future? The big issue -- whether he will play -- has seemed a foregone conclusion for months and was all but crystallized Friday.