The restarting of Brett Favre’s annual retirement saga has promised to make the rest of the Minnesota Vikings’ training camp a circus for the second year in a row. And it got even stranger this morning when KFAN radio host and Vikings play-by-play guy Paul Allen interviewed Jeff George on his morning show.

The 42-year-old George last played in an NFL game in 2001 (he was also on rosters in 2002 and 2004). But he pops up annually trying to get one more shot to make a roster. And he makes some decent points.

A quarterback surrounded by a defense like the Vikings have and with skill position players like Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice and Visanthe Shiancoe isn’t going to have to do a ton to make the team a winner.

“I’m not saying I’m a savior,” he told Allen. “I’m just saying I can still do what I need to do.”

George and Allen have kept in touch sporadically since the 1999 season when George stepped in mid-season to rescue what had been an underachieving Vikings team to that point. He went 8-2 as a starter that season and ultimately took the team to the second round of the playoffs before falling to St. Louis.

It’s highly, highly unlikely that George ever gets another shot in the NFL. But with the alternatives being a still unproven Tarvaris Jackson, an unheralded Sage Rosenfels and rookie Joe Webb, it makes sense that a guy who had a rocket for an arm and a skillset that would have fit this team fairly well when he was a player might make a call to see if the team was interested.

George seemed to realize it was a longshot as well. He indicated that he remains a fan of the team and he wants to see guys like Jared Allen and Peterson get Super Bowl rings while the “window of opportunity” is still open.

He pleaded for the chance. He acknowledged that most fans are laughing at the possibility. He told Allen that he believes Favre will be back. But if he isn’t?

“There has to be a fallback plan and I’m your guy,” he told Allen.

And the soap opera continues …