Favre was on the practice field with the Vikings after traveling to Minneapolis earlier in the day. He is tentatively scheduled to play in Friday's preseason game at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, according to reports.

"We believe adding a player such as Brett Favre to our mix will be a strong positive for this football team," Vikings Coach Brad Childress said in a written statement. "As we have conveyed before, his unique knowledge of our system, the NFC North and his innate skills make this a rare opportunity. We felt there was a brief window to reconsider the possibility and we owed it to the organization to evaluate our options. After thorough discussion, the same variables that made this a unique and positive situation previously, still exist. Now, our attention turns to getting to work as a team, our next practice and preparing for the season."

Favre's contract with the Vikings reportedly will pay him approximately $12 million this season and contains an option for a second season. He exited a plane in St. Paul, Minn., earlier in the day and got into a waiting vehicle to travel to the team's training complex, and was to undergo a physical before signing his contract.

Favre, who will turn 40 in October, had declined an invitation by the Vikings to report to training camp with them last month, saying at the time he wasn't certain that he could play a full season at this point in his career at a level he considered satisfactory. Childress said at the time that the club would not renew its pursuit of Favre.

But Favre also left open the possibility even then that he would change his mind if the Vikings called him during the season.

It marks the second straight offseason that Favre has come out of retirement to resume his playing career.

Favre's mother, Bonita, told the Biloxi Sun Herald that her son is expected to play Friday.

"He is going," she told the newspaper. "I have mixed emotions, but I have always loved to watch him play. This time, however, I thought he would stay retired and stay home. I guess he could not do it. He told me he would always wonder, 'What if?' I told him I supported him.

"I think playing on Friday was part of the deal. . . . I hope he does not have to do as much. He should not have to throw as much with the good running back. That said, I hope he does not have to throw as much and try to make things happen like he usually does. They seem to have a good team in place and he liked that. I guess I need to get a Vikings jersey now."

The Vikings and Favre reportedly had a tentative contract agreement in place when Favre declined to report to training camp, telling Childress at the time that he would stay retired.