NFL: Favre is back in town - and so is the circus

Brett Favre is back in Minnesota, right on schedule.

For the second year in a row, the quarterback who spends his summers on the verge of retirement was driven to Vikings headquarters in Eden Prairie on the Tuesday after the team's first preseason game. Just like last August, news helicopters followed his vehicle from a local airport and dozens of fans and media gathered at the entrance to Winter Park to greet him.

"Circus in Winter Park," tight end Visanthe Shiancoe tweeted.

Nothing the Vikings haven't seen before.

On Aug. 18, 2009, Favre boarded a private plane from Hattiesburg, Miss., and arrived in Minnesota. Coach Brad Childress picked him up and brought him to the team facility. He practiced the same day and suited up for a preseason game three days later.

This time around, the Vikings sent three of Favre's closest friends on the team - Jared Allen, Ryan Longwell and Steve Hutchinson - to Hattiesburg to bring him back for one more shot at a Super Bowl.

Longwell filled the role of Favre's chauffeur and three local television stations broke into programming to show the kicker's black BMW SUV rolling down the road.

Favre's website posted a message earlier saying, "Stay tuned for breaking news from the Minnesota Vikings today on Brett Favre's possible return."

Presumably, Favre did not make the trip just to tell the Vikings he was retiring, but the team issued no formal confirmation that the star quarterback was taking back his starting job. He is, however, under contract - the second season in a two-year, $25 million deal.

Giants' Manning doubtful. The New York Giants are uncertain whether Eli Manning will be able to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Coach Tom Coughlin says Manning was still in some discomfort on Tuesday and was undergoing a battery of tests to make sure he did not suffer a concussion after having his helmet knocked off and being hit in the head. He suffered a gash on the left side of his forehead that required 12 stitches to close in the Giants' 31-16 win over the Jets on Monday night.

Seahawks cut Peterson. The Seattle Seahawks released former Chicago Bears running back Adrian Peterson days after signing him.

Peterson signed with Seattle on Thursday. His release clears roster room for newly acquired defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer.

Seattle also released linebacker Alvin Bowen and signed kicker Clint Stitser to the 80-man training camp roster.

Haynesworth sits. Albert Haynesworth was sidelined after just a few snaps at practice Tuesday morning, apparently because he wasn't feeling well.

The Washington Redskins defensive tackle began the workout as usual, taking part in defensive drills, but he was out of his pads and standing on the sideline with a towel on his neck shortly after the 11-on-11 plays began.

Titans release rookie. The Tennessee Titans have waived injured rookie running back Stafon Johnson, the former Southern California standout whose college career was ended by a weightlifting accident that crushed his neck.

Johnson dislocated his right ankle and broke his fibula Saturday night in the Titans' 20-18 loss at Seattle. Before Tuesday's move coach Jeff Fisher had said Johnson would be out up to 12 weeks recovering from surgery.

Browns lose punter. Cleveland Browns punter Dave Zastudil is out for the season because of a right knee injury.

Coach Eric Mangini said Zastudil's surgically repaired knee was not responding, so the team decided to place him on injured reserve, ending his season before it started. Zastudil missed eight games last season with a torn patellar tendon in his leg.