Giants contact retired Strahan about possible return

Jets quarterback Brett Favre, recently unretired himself, said the Giants should do whatever possible to get Strahan back.

"The guy still looks great, hell of a player," Favre said at the Jets' facility in Hempstead, N.Y. "I would have done whatever to try to get him back initially, but now, how could you not want him back?

"Wouldn't that be something, he comes back and we start a trend?"

Giants teammates had their doubts about Strahan returning.

"As I know it, he is probably on a beach somewhere sipping on some pina coladas, so I doubt football is the first thing on his mind today," said Justin Tuck, who replaced Strahan at left end.

Defensive tackle Barry Cofield said Strahan gave no indication he wanted to play again when he visited training camp in Albany, N.Y., less than two weeks ago.

"He has not been bouncing back and forth like Favre," Cofield said. "He has been pretty happy. We saw him up here and he said he missed it but he was content. He has decided to go on to the next phase of his life so I don't look too strongly into that (him playing again)."

Danny Clark, a nine-year veteran who was signed as a free agent in the offseason, will move from weakside linebacker to the strong side to replace Kiwanuka. Gerris Wilkinson will start at weakside linebacker.

Kiwanuka started nine games at defensive end as a rookie and had four sacks. He played in 10 games last season at strongside linebacker before breaking his leg against Detroit in November. The former Boston College product played linebacker in running situations last season, but was switched to the line in passing situations.

"It is something that he, all of us, really wanted, but obviously we didn't want these circumstances for him to get back," Tuck said of Kiwanuka, who is known as 'Kiwi' to teammates. "It is a good thing for him. It is a good thing for this team. He is definitely a D-lineman at heart, and hopefully he can just come back in and not miss a beat."

Many of the defensive players got a chance to talk to Umenyiora on Monday. The two-time Pro Bowler tore the lateral meniscus in his left knee and is scheduled for surgery Tuesday.

"His spirits are still high," Tuck said. "He is another one of those infectious personalities, so his personality and his mind-state are always going to be at the utmost highest, so I am not worried about him on that point."