Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, the NFL's only three-time MVP and the league record-holder for consecutive starts by a quarterback, has a "cracked" thumb on his right (throwing) hand, GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman said Monday.
Favre will be held out of practices this week -- the Packers' bye week -- but the injury is not expected to be serious.
"If we had to play this week, he said he could play with it," Sherman said. "Hopefully in two weeks it will be better, but he played pretty well with it the other day."
Favre sustained the injury early in Sunday's 34-24 loss to the St. Louis Rams when he hit one of his own offensive linemen on the shoulder while completing his follow-through.
Favre iced his thumb after the game, but the full extent of the injury was not known until Monday.
In 1999, Favre badly sprained the same thumb in a similar fashion, when he hit the helmet of Denver Broncos linebacker John Mobley on his follow-through in a preseason game.
Favre aggravated the injury in the '99 regular-season opener against the Oakland Raiders, but was able to play the entire season, posting 4,091 yards and 22 touchdowns, with 23 interceptions as the Packers went 8-8.
Favre's current injury is not expected to be as detrimental as either the '99 injury, or the elbow tendinitis that bothered him in 2000.
"I asked him, 'How does it compare to '99?'" Sherman said. "(Favre) said, 'Not even close.' He said, 'I couldn't grip a ball (in 1999).'
"It's nothing like that. It's nothing like the tendinitis. He feels pretty confident he can throw the football the way it is right now."
Also good news, Favre is not considered at risk to worsen the injury by playing through it.
"That was my No. 1 question," Sherman said. "'Is there a chance we could be risking something here?' And if that's the case, he would not play, but that's not the case at this present time."
Favre, who has started in a remarkable 197 consecutive games including playoffs (180 regular season), hasn't missed a game since he became the team's starter in 1992.
Over that span, Favre has played through numerous injuries, most recent of which was a sprained lateral collateral ligament in his left knee last season.
Just like in 2002, this injury comes in the game prior to the Packers' bye week.
Through seven games this season, Favre has completed 151 of 224 passes for 1,529 yards and 13 touchdowns with nine interceptions.
Despite Sunday's injury, Favre went 23-for-32 against the Rams for 268 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception.
