Brett Favre 'doesn't trust' Vikings coach Brad Childress

[sandmannd]

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre was reluctant to return to the team for a second season because of his strained relationship with coach Brad Childress, according to a Yahoo! Sports report.

"Brett just doesn't trust him," a Vikings player told Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday.

This wouldn't be the first time there have been reports of a fractured relationship between Childress and Favre.

Childress, asked about his rift with Favre last season, told the Pioneer Press in July, "We had a little bit of creative tension. But it was more driven because he didn't know how I'm wired and I didn't know how he's wired."

Indeed, the two didn't always see eye to eye, including when Favre refused to come out of a game at Carolina on Dec. 20. There were also other instances when Childress wanted to pull Favre from games because Favre changed plays sent in by offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.

Not only does Childress seem to have issues with his quarterback, but also with other players on the team, according to the report. Childress, who wasn't scheduled to talk to the media on Tuesday, had special teams coach Brian Murphy and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell lie about whereabouts of Jared Allen, Steve Hutchinson and Ryan Longwell, who were returning from Hattiesburg, Miss., after convincing Favre to return to the team.

The move didn't sit well with players, according to the report.

"Chilly can't even tell the truth about that," the player told Yahoo! Sports. "I mean, how ridiculous is that? What's the big deal that he has to lie? Worse, he has to tell other guys to lie for him?"

Childress apologized to Bevell and Murphy before starting his news conference on Wednesday.

"A lot of moving parts in things like this, and I shouldn't have put Murph and Bev in front of you guys and have them have to cross their fingers behind their back and talk to you guys," Childress said.

Neither Childress nor Favre were asked about the reported rift during the news conference.