Brett Favre gets start, Adrian Peterson gets deactivated against Bears
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MINNEAPOLIS -- Brett Favre is back in the lineup. And Adrian Peterson isn't.
The Minnesota Vikings capped an unexpected day of quarterback drama by activating Favre for Monday's game against the Chicago Bears, hours after receiving permission from the NFL to upgrade their 41-year-old from out to questionable.
Meanwhile, Peterson was a surprising addition to the inactive list after missing most of the practice week because of a sore thigh -- a product of the collision with teammate Tarvaris Jackson in last week's loss to the New York Giants.
With snow swirling around him and a ski mask protecting his head and face, Favre came onto the field a little after 5 p.m. and threw for several minutes with head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers and receiver Sidney Rice watching closely.
He threw a series of 10- to 15-yard passes, then made three longer passes of 35- to 40-yards before slowing walking off the field about 15 minutes after he'd first appeared. That apparently was enough to convince Favre and Vikings trainers he was fit to play, only two days after a pre-practice throwing session proved so painful coaches ruled him out.
Peterson -- who officially was listed on the injury report with ankle and knee injuries -- didn't practice on Thursday or Friday, then was limited on Saturday. But Vikings interim coach Leslie Frazier had expressed confidence throughout the week that his All-Pro halfback would play.
Instead, rookie Toby Gerhart got the start, with Lorenzo Booker backing him up.
Also inactive for the Vikings were: quarterbacks R.J. Archer and Patrick Ramsey, receiver Greg Lewis, safeties Tyrell Johnson and Jamarca Sanford, tackle Thomas Welch and defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy.
