Mangini: Favre’s return is no shock

Brett Favre’s former boss isn’t surprised the iconic quarterback is back in the NFL.

Eric Mangini, who coached Favre last season with the New York Jets before being fired and taking the same job in Cleveland, said Wednesday that he wasn’t too surprised that Favre signed with the Minnesota Vikings after twice retiring.

“I didn’t really analyze it that much,” Mangini said. “I kind of worked on the quarterbacks I have here.”

Mangini considers himself a Favre fan. “Brett’s a Hall of Fame player, a great guy, a fierce competitor and, like I told him a long time ago, whatever decision he makes he’ll make right,” Mangini said.

“He’s a fun guy to coach, a fun guy to have as a teammate, and I feel like I’m a better coach from the experience of being with him.”

Mangini also noted the irony that his first game as Browns coach will be in Cleveland against Favre and the Vikings on Sept. 13.

“It makes for good TV,” Mangini said.

After retiring from football for the first time after the 2007 season, Favre signed with the Jets. He guided the team to an 8-3 start, but an elbow injury impeded his ability to throw effectively and New York dropped four of its last five games and did not reach the AFC playoffs.

In those last five games, Favre threw two touchdown passes and nine interceptions.

Mangini was fired after the season and finished 23-25 in three seasons in New York.

Favre is a big draw

The Vikings have sold more than 3,200 season tickets since news broke that Favre was coming to Minnesota. That’s in approximately a 24-hour span.

Chief marketing officer Steve LaCroix said the team has sold about 11,000 single-game tickets during that time as fans clamor over the arrival of the veteran quarterback.

Seats for the game against Green Bay on Oct. 5 are only available through a season ticket. There are roughly 6,000 season tickets remaining.

Owens to sit out

A sprained toe will prevent Terrell Owens from practicing until next week, meaning he’ll sit out Buffalo’s exhibition at Green Bay on Saturday.

Bills Coach Dick Jauron ruled Owens out of playing this week after the receiver did not practice for the second consecutive day.

Titans deny pursuit

Coach Jeff Fisher said the Tennessee Titans are not pursuing veteran wide receiver Marvin Harrison and the team has had no contact with the free agent or his agent.

The Titans had been mentioned specifically in an ESPN report as a team interested in the former Indianapolis Colts receiver.

Fisher said he did not know where the reporter got that information but said there was no possibility of Harrison’s joining the Titans.

Harrison finished his Colts career with 1,102 receptions, second on the NFL’s all-time list. The Colts released him after last season to free up $6 million under the salary cap.

Seattle loses Jones

Nine-time Pro Bowl left tackle Walter Jones will have his second knee operation in eight months, leaving his playing status in doubt.

Seattle Seahawks Coach Jim Mora said after practice that Jones will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee today.

Jones had microfracture surgery in December. He has missed all but three days of practice in training camp.

The 35-year-old anchor of Seattle’s offensive line for the last decade tried to practice Monday but left midway through the session.

Mora said there could be “loose bodies” inside the knee. He said the procedure is just “to check it out,” and was optimistic Jones would return this season.