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Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl wideout Sidney Rice could miss half the 2010 season after undergoing hip surgery.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Rice visited the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado on Monday where he had the procedure, confirmed by Rice in a text message to the paper.

Rice has been on the physically unable to perform list since the beginning of training camp due to the ailment, which he previously stated occurred during Minnesota’s loss to the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game last January.

The report said Rice was looked at by three specialists during the offseason, and that two had suggested surgery at the time.

The 23-year-old fourth-year pro had a breakout season catching passes from Brett Favre last year and earned Pro Bowl honors for hauling in 83 balls for 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns in 16 games.

Rice was the 44th overall selection in the 2007 draft out of South Carolina after a standout sophomore season for the Gamecocks.

In addition to Rice’s injury, the team is dealing with the health of wide receiver Percy Harvin, who continues to battle severe migraine headaches that have caused him to miss most of camp.

The Vikings responded Tuesday by signing veteran wide receiver Javon Walker, who will enter his ninth NFL season and be reunited with quarterback Brett Favre.

Walker started a promising career in Green Bay after the Packers took him in the first round in 2002 out of Florida State. He played four seasons alongside Favre and put together his finest year as a pro in 2004 when he racked up career bests with 1,382 yards 12 touchdowns and 89 receptions.

The 31-year-old went on to play two seasons in Denver before moving on to the Raiders in 2008. He appeared in three games without recording a catch last season for Oakland before a season-ending ankle injury.

Minnesota also waived running back Ryan Moats Tuesday. Moats was signed in June after two years with the Texans. In 2009, the fifth-year pro ran for 390 yards with four touchdowns on 101 carries. He also caught 13 passes for 106 yards and a score in 14 games.

Matt Field
TenYards.com Sports Editor

The San Diego Chargers have won the division the last four years, and there is no reason they shouldn’t win it again this year. Philip Rivers is by far the best quarterback in the division and I anticipate an excellent year on defense for the Chargers as this is Ron Rivera’s third year running the show.

The unpredictable team in this division, in my opinion, is Denver. Last year, the Broncos won their first six in a row, and then lost eight of the next 10. They need a healthy Ryan Clady at left tackle for all 16 games. Of course, they need to solidify the quarterback position, choosing between Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn. As an NFL coach, Josh McDaniels has real determination, and that is something that others find contagious. It will be interesting to watch all of this unfold in Denver.

In Kansas City, if you believe that building on success is easier than creating success for the first time, the Chiefs should improve on last year’s four-win season. Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis are excellent support pieces for Todd Haley as a head coach, but this team must improve in so many different areas, it’s likely that the Chiefs will be battling against the Raiders to avoid the basement of this division.

As for the Raiders, Tom Cable has been involved in some public relation disasters, but he seems convinced that his football team is a good one. And it’s another year and another new offense for Jason Campbell. I’m not saying Campbell is Peyton Manning, but Manning has had the benefit of being able to run the same offense his entire NFL career. Campbell is in his fifth year, and this is the fourth offense he’s had to learn.

Matt Field
TenYards.com Sports Editor

Brett Favre completed one pass and also got clobbered on a sack that lost Minnesota 10 yards.

Favre’s highly anticipated first game back with the Vikings lasted all of four unspectacular plays and one series in a 15-10 loss to the 49ers in a nationally televised pre-season game Sunday at Candlestick Park, the only NFL show of the night.

Favre completed a 13-yard pass to Adrian Peterson on his first play from scrimmage but was sacked by Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis two plays later and the Vikings wound up punting. The 40-year-old quarterback took the field just four days after his first training camp practice of the year. He decided to return for a 20th season and make yet another run at a Super Bowl title.

It’s hard to make much of the small sampling. Not that Favre’s numbers mattered to the Vikings, just thrilled to have him back.

Alex Smith, Favre’s 49ers counterpart, went nine of 13 for 88 yards in a solid first half. Willis had four tackles playing only nine snaps.

After that single series, Favre headed to the bench and gave way to backup Tarvaris Jackson — who had been in line to be the starter before Jared Allen, Ryan Longwell and Steve Hutchinson flew to Mississippi early last week to recruit Favre back to the Twin Cities. Favre, sporting a 5-o’clock shadow peppered with grey, could be seen laughing on the sideline in the second half.

Smith bounced back a week after stumbling through a subpar outing in which he completed three of nine passes for 37 yards and only two first downs in a win at Indianapolis. David Carr and Nate Davis rallied the Niners to 34 straight points in the 37-17 victory.

He made do for a 49ers offence missing three of its biggest stars: receiver Michael Crabtree, tight end Vernon Davis and running back Frank Gore.

“We just came out against the No. 1 rush defence in the NFL and marched it down the field,” Smith said. “We were moving the chains and getting a bunch of third-down conversions and just took it down the field methodically.”

Smith completed his first four passes for 48 yards and five of his first six on the Niners’ opening drive, including a 24-yard strike to backup tight end Delanie Walker that set up a four-yard scoring run by rookie Anthony Dixon.

After all the drama that surrounds Favre each off-season — will he or won’t he really retire? — he’s back in his No. 4 jersey and told his teammates he’s as committed to this as ever.

And why not keep going?

Favre is coming off a year in which he threw for 4,202 yards and 33 touchdowns and established career highs for completion rate (68.4), quarterback rating (107.2) and fewest interceptions (seven).

He was booed by the crowd Sunday when running onto the field for the first time midway through the first quarter. Favre has been the Niners’ nemesis for years.

In late September last year, Favre hit Greg Lewis on a 32-yard touchdown with two seconds left as the Vikings stunned San Francisco 27-24 in Minneapolis. That was the first of six straight road losses — five in a row by a combined 19 points — for the 49ers that helped cost them a playoff trip and a winning season.

Davis, San Francisco’s No. 3 QB and fifth-round pick last year, completed a pretty 60-yard pass to Ted Ginn Jr. in the third quarter with his foot planted at the goal line when he released the ball. The pass set up Joe Nedney’s 28-yard field goal. Davis later had an 18-yard completion to Nate Byham.

Longwell kicked a 40-yard field goal early in the second quarter for the Vikings’ first points. Minnesota rookie quarterback Joe Webb broke loose up the middle for a 48-yard TD run with 1:54 to play, then Webb was sacked by Derek Walker in the end zone for a safety on the final play of the game.

Former Stanford star and Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart got his first of his four carries for Minnesota midway through the second quarter, a three-yard gain. This marked the rookie’s first game back in the Bay Area since the Vikings selected him at No. 51 in the second round of this year’s draft. Gerhart, who rushed for 1,871 yards and 28 touchdowns for the Cardinal last year, also caught two short passes.

Matt Field
TenYards.com Sports Editor

The Minnesota Vikings will once again reign as champions of the NFC North. That being said, the Green Bay Packers are not far behind and have high hopes of moving ahead of the Minnesota Vikings to win the division.

Their key will be the durability of four key players who play great one-on-one football throughout a game. Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton are closer to 35 than 30 and when you’re playing a physical position like offensive tackle, that’s more of a detriment than an asset.

The Packers finished second in the league in total defense and like the offense, the key question will be the durability of Charles Woodson and Al Harris.

If these four players can play all 16 games for Green Bay, they may take the North.

Brett Favre may be back in Minnesota, but Aaron Rodgers is building his own resume as the best quarterback in the division. Everything was magical last season for the Vikings, with Favre throwing 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Take away that too many men penalty and the Vikings would have been taking on the Colts in the Super Bowl.

The Bears will be better, if for no other reason, the amount of money they spent in free agency. A lot will depend on the working relationship between Mike Martz and Jay Cutler. Martz is a great offensive coordinator but his quarterbacks tend to get hit a lot and he relies heavily on getting the ball deep to the receivers.

The goal for the Lions this season is more about respectability than a possible playoff appearance. The last two drafts have been good to the Lions but an 8-8 season is unrealistic. They just have to improve with each and every game – and a win on the road would obviously be a good start.

Matt Field
TenYards.com Sports Editor

The Wide Receiver position can be tough to draft. You need to pay attention to how your league does their scoring. Certain receivers may be more valuable in a PPR league (point per reception) and others may be more valuable in a TD only league. This ranking list is based off of yards and touchdowns, not PPR. Please keep that in mind when drafting.

1. Andre Johnson – HOU He’ll be targeted over 100 times this season, and if they finally start taking advantage of his size in the red zone, he could finally break double digit touchdowns. I think this is the year they start doing that.

2. Larry Fitzgerald – ARI Matt Leinart has to throw to someone, and with Boldin gone, look for Fitz to get targeted even more than he did when Kurt Warner was tossing the rock.

3. Randy Moss – NE Yes, he’s 34 years old. But he’s still physical freak, and he’s playing for a contact this year. Look for huge numbers, barring injury.

4. Reggie Wayne, IND Peyton’s favorite target will have another solid season this year. Expect 10+ TDs.

5. Miles Austin – DAL Had a breakout season last year, and Romo trusts him. Austin is great at getting yards after the catch, which only enhances his fantasy value in leagues that give points for yardage.

6. Calvin Johnson – DET  Time for big Calvin to have a big year. Matthew Stafford is in his second year now, and I think they’ll let him throw a bit more this year.

7. Greg Jennings – GB Rodgers does a great job of spreading the ball around, but there is no doubt that Jennings is his favorite target.

8. Brandon Marshall – MIA They didn’t trade for him to not throw the ball to him, but he won’t have the same kind of numbers he’s put up in Denver the past couple of seasons.

9. Anquan Boldin – BAL He’ll get several opportunities to catch the ball in Baltimore this season. Don’t forget, before Fitzgerald arrived in Arizona, Boldin caught over 100 passes as the #1 receiver there.

Note: Sidney Rice will miss at least half the season after surgery

10. Sidney Rice – MIN If his hip is healthy, he’s Favre’s favorite target in the red zone. At 6’ 4” with a huge vertical leap, Rice is deadly at the goalline.

Best of the Rest

11. Roddy White – ATL
12. Marques Colston – NO
13. DeSean Jackson – PHI
14. Steve Smith – CAR
15. Vincent Jackson – SD (Note: currently holding out, keep an eye on this guy)
16. Percy Harvin – MIN
17. Chad Ochocinco – CIN
18. Hakeem Nicks – NYG
19. Hines Ward – PIT
20. Mike Sims-Walker – JAC
21. Wes Welker – NE
22. Mike Wallace – PIT
23. Michael Crabtree – SF
24. Donald Driver – GB
25. Pierre Garcon – IND
26. Malcolm Floyd – SD
27. Dwayne Bowe – KC
28. Terrell Owens – CIN
29. Lee Evans – BUF
30. Santana Moss – WAS
31. Dez Bryant – DAL
32. Johnny Knox – CHI
33. Steve Breaston – ARI
34. Devin Hester – CHI
35. Jeremy Maclin – PHI
36. Roy Williams – DAL
37. Kenny Britt – HOU
38. Bernard Berrian – MIN
39. Robert Meachem – NO
40. Devin Aromashodu – CHI
41. Julian Edelman – NE
42. Santonio Holmes – NYJ
43. Nate Burleson – DET
44. Derrick Mason – BAL
45. Braylon Edwards – NYJ

As most fantasy football geeks will tell you, running back is the key position in FF. Typically, RB’s touch the ball more than anyone other than the QB. RB’s are the “make or break” part of the draft, so choose wisely.

1. Adrian Peterson – MIN Yes, the fumbles are a concern. But, with Favre in the fold now, teams can’t commit 8 guys in the box to slow him down, and that means another 15+ TD season could be coming…

2. Chris Johnson – TEN Yes, the guy put up huge numbers last year. But the “rule of 350” applies here. Johnson touched the ball over 350 times last year, and RB’s usually drop off the following season when that happens. Look for good, but not great, numbers from Johnson this year.

3. Ray Rice – BAL Rice could be looking at a big year. With Flacco now having Boldin to throw to, teams have to be more aware of the passing game in Baltimore, which could open some nice running lanes for Mr. Rice.

4. Maurice Jones-Drew- JAC Simply a solid fantasy performer. Gets TD’s on the ground and in the air. Didn’t have a great year last year, and still had 10+ TD’s. Look for a bit of a bounce back year.

5. Michael Turner – ATL Coming off a down year, as the “rule of 350” hit him hard. May not havie another 2008 season in him, but look for a better year.

6. Frank Gore – SF Should get plenty of opportunities once again. SF is a run first offense, and really, the 49ers have no other backs right now.

7. Shonn Greene – NYJ Look for a break out season from Greene. Thomas Jones is gone, LT has nothing in the tank, and the Jets want to run first and second, pass third. Could mean a lot of opportunities for Greene to shine…

8. Steven Jackson – STL He’ll get a lot of touches, but the STL offensive line has been pretty bad, so this could be a risky pick.

9. DeAngelo Williams – CAR No matter who plays QB in Carolina, this is still a run first offense, and Williams has had a nose for the end zone the last couple years.

10. Rashard Mendenhall – PIT With Big Ben out for the first 6 games, Mendenhall should see a LOT of carries in the meantime

Best of the Rest

11. Pierre Thomas – NO
12. Ryan Grant – GB
13. Ryan Matthews – SD
14. Knowshon Moreno – DEN
15. Cedric Benson – CIN
16. Beanie Wells – AZ
17. LeSean McCoy – PHI
18. Matt Forte – CHI
19. Brandon Jacobs – NYG
20. Jonathan Stewart – CAR
21. Joseph Addai – IND
22. Thomas Jones – KC
23. Ronnie Brown – MIA
24. Justin Forsett – SEA
25. Felix Jones – DAL
26. Clinton Portis – WAS
27. Jamaal Charles – KC
28. Cadillac Williams – TB
29. Ricky Williams – MIA
30. Marion Barber – DAL
31. Laurence Maroney – NE
32. Reggie Bush – NO
33. Darren McFadden – OAK
34. Jerome Harrison – CLE
35. C.J. Spiller – BUF
36. Steve Slaton – HOU
37. Michael Bush – OAK
38. Tim Hightower – ARI
39. Ahmad Bradshaw – NYG
40. LaDainian Tomlinson – NYJ
41. Fred Jackson – BUF
42. Chester Taylor – CHI
43. Donald Brown – IND
44. Jahvid Best – DET
45. Darren Sproles – SD

Here they are folks. The official quarterback rankings of www.tenyards.com. We’ll expect a cut of your winnings at season’s end.

Quarterbacks.

1. Aaron Rodgers – GB Despite being sacked 50 times last year, Rodgers still had great numbers. Expect more of the same in Green Bay, as the running game will still be lacking. Rodgers quick release and rapport with his receivers could lead to another big year.

2. Drew Brees – NO Brees had a fantastic year last year, and is arguably the most accurate passer in football today. With Sean Payton’s wide open offense in NO, another big year could be coming for Brees.

3. Peyton Manning – IND Not much needs to be said here. The guy just continues to put up impressive fantasy numbers. The only thing you worry about in drafting Manning is will he play a full season if the Colts are having another great season?

4. Tony Romo – DAL Romo should put up good numbers, with Miles Austin and rookie Dez Bryant in the fold. But the offensive line is a big concern. Can Romo stay healthy if he takes another beating this season?

5. Brett Favre – MIN Can he duplicate last season’s numbers? Probably not. But he should still be good for somewhere between 25-30 TD passes.

6. Matt Schaub – HOU Schaub finally stayed healthy last season and his numbers showed it. He has Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels to throw to, and really no running game at all, so he should have plenty of passing attempts.

7. Tom Brady – NE His numbers were down last year, and favorite target Wes Welker is coming off major knee surgery. But Randy Moss is on a contract year, so look out. Brady could very easily have another 40TD season in him…

8. Philip Rivers – SD LT is gone, and this is officially Rivers’ team now. But top wideout Vincent Jackson is in the middle of a bitter holdout. Other than Antonio Gates, who does Rivers throw the ball to? Rivers should be ranked higher, but there are too many questions about the SD offense right now.

9. Donovan McNabb – WAS Probably won’t get as many passing attempts as he did in Philly, but McNabb is on a “contract year” so I wouldn’t be surprised if he puts up 30+ TD passes this season.

10. Jay Cutler – CHI Yes, he’s got a great arm. Yes, his arm tends to get him in trouble. But you can’t argue with the fact that QB’s simply put up huge numbers in Mike Martz’s offense. If Jon Kitna can put up big numbers, there is no reason Cutler can’t.

Best of the Rest.

11. Joe Flacco – BAL.
12. Matt Ryan – ATL
13. Kevin Kolb – PHI
14. Carson Palmer – CIN
15. Eli Manning – NYG
16. Matthew Stafford – DET
17. Matt Cassel – KC
18. Matt Leinart – ARI
19. Vince Young – HOU
20. David Garrard – JAC
21. Jason Campbell – OAK
22. Alex Smith – SF
23. Kyle Orton – DEN
24. Matt Hasselbeck – SEA
25. Chad Henne – MIA
26. Jake Delhomme – CLE
27. Matt Moore – CAR
28. Josh Freeman – TB
29. Mark Sanchez – NYJ
30. Trent Edwards – BUF

NOTE – Ben Roethlisberger is suspended for the 1st 6 games of the season. You could draft him late and store him on the bench, but make sure you have a solid starter in place before you do that. You can always use one of them as trade bait later in the season.

Favre takes the field after flirting with retirement.

Brett Favre says the strong chance of playing in another Super Bowl brought him back to the NFL — again.

Favre was back on the field with the Vikings on Wednesday. The three-time MVP started his second season in Minnesota wearing a helmet, shoulder pads and red quarterback’s jersey as he worked out with his teammates on their practice field.

He said afterward “this is a very good football team.” Favre said the chances of making the Super Bowl with Minnesota “are much greater than other places.”

After staying away from training camp, Favre was practicing less than 24 hours after the teams sent three of his closest friends to Mississippi to bring him back following another summer of indecision.

Favre admitted “there is nothing on me that’s 100 per cent, there wasn’t anything that was 100 per cent last year or the year before.”

But he believes ankle surgery “made me a little better.”

Matt Field
TenYards.com Sports Editor

Plane carrying Brett Favre touches down in Minnesota.

Favre emerged from a plane in Minnesota on Tuesday, with the expectation that he will rejoin the Vikings. Three teammates, Jared Allen, Steve Hutchinson and Ryan Longwell, were absent from practice earlier in the day and went to Mississippi to recruit Favre.

Fox Sports reported that Favre told his teammates that he is back in for another season. NFL Network also reported Favre would rejoin the Vikings.

Also, Favre’s official website sent out an e-mail today saying, “Stay tuned for breaking news from the Minnesota Vikings today on Brett Favre’s possible return.”

The Vikings have not confirmed the news.

Favre’s trip north comes exactly one year after news broke that he would emerge from retirement for the second year in a row and would sign with the Vikings.

Report: Favre aboard plane headed for Minnesota.

Three players with the Minnesota Vikings football team took the day off from practice to swing down to Mississippi. Their mission: to have a chat with Brett Favre.

Apparently, the plan worked. Reports from NFL.com say Favre has boarded a plan and is now headed back to Minnesota.

And now, Favre’s official website has sent out an e-mail to subscribers teasing, “Stay tuned for breaking news from the Minnesota Vikings today on Brett Favre’s possible return.”

According to the Star Tribune, defensive end Jared Allen, offensive guard Steve Hutchinson and kicker Ryan Longwell were absent from morning practice on Tuesday. The report says the three traveled to Hattiesburg.

Favre is still reportedly making up his mind whether or not to play one more season with the Vikings.

He served as quarterback during the 2009-2010 season after multiple flirtations (and trial engagements) with retirement.

At the beginning of the month, Favre said he had not made any decisions about whether or not to return to the team for another season, despite reports saying he had texted players and told them he would not be coming back.

He had one of his best seasons last year, with career bests in completion percentage (68.4), quarterback rating (107.2) and fewest interceptions (7), while throwing for 33 TDs and 4,202 yards to lead the Vikings to an NFC North title.

He hurt his left ankle in the NFC championship loss to the New Orleans Saints and had arthroscopic surgery in May.

Tarvaris Jackson served as the team’s starting quarterback for the Vikings’ first preseason game against the St. Louis Rams. They won 28-7.