Brad Childress on the future of Brett Favre

 EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings must wait to hear from Brett Favre about whether he'll play next season. Coach Brad Childress says he won't set a deadline for the 40-year-old quarterback to decide.

Childress said Tuesday at his season-ending news conference that he'd prefer to know sooner rather than later, but that the team will plan for both possibilities.

Favre insisted after the NFC Championship Game loss in New Orleans that he wouldn't take months to reach a decision, unlike last summer's back and forth.

Childress also took responsibility for the costly too-many-men-in-the-huddle penalty that preceded Favre's interception in the fourth quarter against the Saints with the Vikings driving for the go-ahead field goal.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press