MINNEAPOLIS -- Could it have been that simple?

The Vikings courted an indecisive Brett Favre for months, and he finally told them he was going to stay home in Mississippi.

Then one final phone plea caused a change of heart.

Hmmm.

Skeptics and conspiracy theorists, have your way with this one.

On Tuesday, Brad Childress and Favre recounted the story of how a single phone call placed by the Vikings' coach on Monday caused the future Hall of Fame quarterback to reconsider and end his retirement.

And the "retired" Favre took that call while on his way to throw passes with a high school team -- a team he helped "coach" the past couple of weeks, while the Vikings players were laboring through two-a-day practices and living in dorms down in Mankato.

That's why a few eyes were rolling during Tuesday's news conference, which featured a quarterback who is notorious for avoiding organized off-season workouts. Was the Vikings' departure up Hwy. 169 from Mankato his cue to head north himself?

After all, many presumed, the deal for Favre had been done for weeks, maybe months, and only needed a nodded head from Favre himself to seal it.

"Things moved pretty quickly," said owner Zygi Wilf, who, like Childress, essentially slammed the door on Favre only two weeks earlier. "When Brad called us and we spoke about it, we felt the same way. That this was a small window and we wanted to take that opportunity to make our team better. We just didn't want to worry about the future and say, 'What if?' Life is too short."

Vikings players, some of whom had been recruited to woo Favre in the past months, were surprised -- or were they? -- at Tuesday's turnaround. Star defensive end Jared Allen thought Favre was retired for good.

"I thought it was done. It was done for me," Allen said. "I don't know what changed. That's not my job. But whoever they bring in, we know they bring them in for a purpose, and that's to help our team win games. So he's a teammate, and I welcome him with open arms."

One question Childress is unlikely to answer publicly is this: What caused him to place the call to Favre on Monday afternoon?

"You can't get a hit if you don't swing the bat," was the coach's explanation.

Assuming Childress and Favre hadn't talked for three weeks, as Favre claimed, let's go back to what transpired in Mankato.

Childress is entering the fourth season of a five-year contract and, so far, there have been no known talks of an extension with Wilf. Keep in mind, NFL head coaches rarely reach the final year of their contracts without a clear indication they'll be retained or removed, meaning this season is crucial to Childress' future.

The Vikings entered training camp, rejected by Favre, with only one clear-cut issue: Who would become the starting quarterback? It's a question the organization hasn't satisfactorily answered since Childress arrived in 2006.

Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels were competing for the job this time around. Jackson suffered a sprained left knee on the second day of practice. Rosenfels, acquired from Houston in February, got off to a rough start as he attempted to learn the offense.

Rosenfels, a career backup, showed gradual improvement. Jackson, who was panned after a playoff loss to the Eagles last season, returned after missing three days.

But Childress' level of angst about the situation hit a zenith Aug. 12. Jackson and Rosenfels both struggled in the final session in Mankato. Jackson had a particularly rough day. The quarterback situation got shakier two days later when Rosenfels, who looked sharp early, injured his ankle while playing in the opening two series of the Vikings' 13-3 preseason victory over Indianapolis. Jackson was erratic, completing only 7 of 15 passes for 39 yards in playing five full series.

And that likely made Childress -- whose calling card is as a developer of quarterbacks -- to take that final swing at talking Favre off his tractor.

Why Favre said "yes" would be the biggest mystery here -- except we are talking about Brett Favre.

Sure, he's coming off surgery to repair the biceps tendon in his throwing arm, and he might have a tear in rotator cuff of the same arm, but this is a guy who started 269 consecutive games. And he still loves the limelight.

So let's play along with the Childress-Favre story for one moment and say Favre realized his last chance to continue his career was slipping away.

Favre, who will turn 40 on Oct. 10, rarely enjoyed the rigors of training camp and has little interest in joining his much younger teammates for after-hours fun. But he remains addicted to football, and there was still a team that wanted him.

So after he said "no," he obviously stayed in shape, threw the ball around, felt a little better and ... waited for another phone call?

This time, he was ready to go.

"He said things like, 'Going on hunting trips and playing golf' would be there when he finished playing football," Favre's brother, Scott, told the Biloxi Sun Herald. "He would have regretted not playing this year."

Just as Favre would have regretted not playing last season, when he attempted to get to the Vikings after he felt he was forced into retirement after 16 seasons with the Packers, who basically blocked him from playing for the Vikings by trading him to the Jets.

This time, with his way free and clear, and with his choice of any NFL teams, he targeted the Vikings, who left the door open for Favre to essentially make the call.

A two-year, $25 million contract had long been in place, and all Favre had to do was say yes.

In the end, that's exactly what he did.

Exactly when he really, really did it? Only a select few are likely to know.