New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - Article Saints' Darren Sharper may finally be hitting field soon

METAIRIE — Perhaps the hottest story in the New Orleans Saints offseason was their version of the Brett Favre saga.

Would Darren Sharper, the premier, but aging ball hawk/free safety of the turnover-crazy Saints defense, want to return and would the Saints pay him?

He did come back, but up to this point he might as well still be in limbo because the 13-year veteran has barely practiced and not played as he is on the physically unable to perform list following March surgery on his left knee for a microfracture.

Favre, meanwhile, has been practicing and even played over the weekend for Minnesota in preparation for the NFL season grand opener against the Saints on Sept. 9 in the Superdome on NBC national television.

Will Sharper, Favre's former teammate at Green Bay, match wits with Favre that night in the biggest regular season opener in Saints history?

"I hope so, based on how I'm coming along and how I'm feeling now," Sharper said recently. He was not available after practice Wednesday but spoke to New Orleans.com last week.

"I still have about (two) weeks," he said. "So I have my time. My goal is to get back, and now with Brett coming back, it makes it a little more of an incentive to get back."

Sharper, a 2010 All-Pro who finished tied for first in interceptions last season with nine and with interceptions returned for touchdowns with three, has been at practice, but he usually only does some

running. He wears a brace on his left knee that limits the pressure on it. He pronounced himself right on schedule for his return after a recent visit with orthopedic surgeon for the stars, Dr. James Andrews.

Sharper has adjusted his target date, however. Originally, he thought he would be back for Friday night's preseason game against San Diego at 7 p.m. in the Superdome, which will be televised nationally by CBS. There is still a chance at that, but it is more likely he will not play until the preseason finale on Sept. 2 at Tennessee.

"I definitely want to get in one preseason game," he said. "If I'm healthy, I feel I'm going to be OK."