Broken Thumb Doesn’t Figure to Sideline Favre

Brett Favre has a broken right thumb that’s not serious and shouldn’t prevent him from continuing his NFL record for consecutive starts by a quarterback.

Green Bay Packer Coach Mike Sherman revealed the extent of Favre’s injury Monday.

“He has a hairline crack on his thumb,” Sherman said. “If we had to play this week, he said he could play with it, and hopefully in two weeks when we play it will be better.”

The Packers (3-4) are off this week before traveling to Minnesota.

Favre, who has started 197 consecutive games, banged his thumb on a teammate’s shoulder pads on the first play of the game Sunday at St. Louis, but did not come out and didn’t seem affected by it.

“He played pretty well with it,” Sherman said.

Despite Green Bay’s 34-24 loss to the Rams, Favre had one of his best performances in a domed stadium, completing 23 of 32 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.

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Miami Dolphin quarterback Jay Fiedler has a sprained ligament in his left knee and underwent tests to determine the extent of the injury.

Dolphin Coach Dave Wannstedt said no update on Fiedler’s condition would be made before Wednesday. Wannstedt also would not speculate how long Fiedler would be sidelined -- if at all -- because of the injury suffered in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 19-13 overtime loss to New England.

If Fiedler can’t play, backup Brian Griese would start Monday night at San Diego. Griese, signed in the off-season as a free agent, has not taken any game snaps since the exhibition season.

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Washington Redskin running back Ladell Betts has a broken left forearm and “could be out a couple of weeks,” Coach Steve Spurrier said.

Betts’ arm was hit by a helmet as he carried the ball during the first half of Washington’s 24-7 loss at Buffalo on Sunday.

Betts said he would have to immobilize the arm and had no timetable for his return. The Redskins have two weeks before their next game.

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New York Giant guard Rich Seubert will be sidelined seven to eight months because of three broken bones in his right leg.

Seubert broke the tibia, fibula and ankle when Philadelphia Eagle defensive lineman N.D. Kalu fell on his leg in the first quarter of the Giants’ 14-10 loss Sunday.

He will not be able to put weight on his leg for three months, Coach Jim Fassel said, adding the injury is not career-threatening.

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Chad Pennington will make his return to the New York Jets on Sunday, although not as the starter.

Coach Herman Edwards said that Vinny Testaverde will start at quarterback against the Eagles, and Pennington will enter the game off the bench. Pennington, slated to be the starter this season, has sat out the entire season after breaking his left wrist Aug. 23 in an exhibition game against the Giants.

Edwards said he wants to get Testaverde in the flow of the game before putting Pennington in. He made the decision to start Testaverde because he does not know whether Pennington is in condition to play four quarters.

Edwards said Pennington will start Nov. 2 against the Giants.

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Marshall Faulk will be back on the practice field this week for the St. Louis Rams, although he probably won’t play Sunday at Pittsburgh.

Faulk has sat out three games because of a broken left hand and torn cartilage in his right knee. When he was injured, the team said the hand would be more of a factor in his return, but Coach Mike Martz said that Faulk still has to prove his leg is strong enough to play.

“There’s always that chance we could have him on an if-need basis, but I’d like to avoid that if at all possible,” Martz said.