"Seems like I been hurt a lot worse," Favre said after the game. "I can't believe something like this hasn't happened before."

Favre said he will undergo another examination Tuesday on his sprained SC joint, which he believes has exacerbated numbness in his right hand, but never suggested he could return for any of the Vikings' remaining three games.

"I won't play again if I can't feel my hand," Favre said. "I think it would be foolish to even consider playing if you don't have total feeling in five fingers."

Favre and Vikings interim coach Leslie Frazier spoke extensively Monday night and are planning to speak again after Tuesday's exam.

In a technological twist, the record-ending decision was announced to the public on Twitter. Jeff Anderson, a Vikings spokesman, tweeted that Favre was out early Monday evening: "Vikings Inactives -- 12, 19, 25, 31, 76, 90, 91...and 4. The streak ends..."

The Vikings had hoped Favre, who started despite a broken foot and elbow tendinitis this season, could do it again when the game against the New York Giants was delayed from Sunday after the Metrodome roof collapsed. That forced the game to be moved to Ford Field, but it was not enough time for Favre to get healthy enough to play.

Frazier said the plan was for Favre to go through a pregame throwing routine to determine whether he could play, but the three-time MVP wasn't on the field about 90 minutes before kickoff, and the Vikings announced moments later that he was inactive.

"He was having trouble with numbness down through his shoulder and into his hand," Frazier said. "It was a no-brainer. We couldn't put him out there. He couldn't function as a quarterback."

At halftime, TV cameras showed Favre's right hand was purple.

Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell, also Favre's teammate for 12 years in Green Bay, told ESPN's Ed Werder that he spoke to Favre after the decision and that the quarterback was "at peace with it and seemed relieved it was over."

Favre echoed Longwell's sentiments in an emotional news conference after the game.

"Relief, in one sense. There wasn't a whole lot of pressure on me today," Favre said. "It's been a long time. I'd much rather be playing; that's just my nature. I don't want to say it was time, but it's probably been long overdue. There's probably been a lot of times the streak should have ended."

Shortly after Favre was declared inactive, his official website was selling autographed commemorative footballs. Inscribed with "297 starts 1992-2010," the footballs were priced at $499.99 each.

It's uncertain whether Favre will play again in this, his third comeback season from a brief retirement.

A source told Werder that Favre sees being placed on season-ending injured reserve as a plausible outcome because it would prevent regular speculation about his health for the final three weeks of the season.

"That's questions I haven't thought about, to be quite honest with you," Favre said. "I've always assumed I'd play every game; today was no exception. I enjoy playing.

"I don't want to say I'm shocked by the events of today. I guess in some way I expected it ... but I have no idea. It's unfortunate we're out of this playoff race. I'll just see how I feel this week and go from there."

Brett Favre was inactive Monday night, ending his historic consecutive starts streak at 297 regular-season games. Leon Halip/Getty Images

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf told Werder before Monday's game that he has not discussed putting Favre on IR or any other possibilities for how the Favre situation will be handled with the quarterback or Minnesota's coaching staff.

After the game, Frazier acknowledged that putting Favre on injured reserve, ending his season and possibly his career, is possible.

"But I'm hoping not," Frazier said.

On Monday night, Favre didn't come out on the field until about 35 minutes before the scheduled kickoff, wearing a T-shirt and warm-up pants. He hugged a teammate while receiving a few cheers from the crowd, then stood at the 15-yard line and chatted with Tarvaris Jackson, the new Minnesota starter.

After Minnesota's first drive, Favre looked at photo printouts with Jackson as the Vikings went over strategy. It didn't help much. The Giants sacked Jackson four times, knocking him out of the game late in the third period and again in the final seconds.

Current ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski previously held the consecutive-starts record for a quarterback, but Favre passed him all the way back in 1999.

"I knew when my streak ended, it was because of a broken leg," Jaworski said. "I knew it was over. It was just kind of interesting following Brett this week. Now that we know it's over, we can kind of look back on it and marvel. I don't know if I can even put words on it."

The crowd in Detroit, where tickets were given out for free, had a chance to witness a bit of history.

"Ahhh, I feel bad for him," said Vikings season-ticket holder JoAnn Brown, who drove 12 hours to see the game in Detroit. "I wish he could've just got out there for the first play and just tossed the ball once to keep the streak."

Both Favre and Frazier had made it clear he would not be given a ceremonial start like that. Minnesota still had a slim chance to make the playoffs before the game, although that ended with the loss to the Giants.

The quarterback was injured when the Bills' Arthur Moats hit him square in the back and sent him to the turf on the third play from scrimmage last weekend. The day after, the rookie linebacker said he had mixed emotions about perhaps being the player who ended Favre's streak.

"I don't want to see anybody hurting and not playing any more. If he plays, that would be a good thing," Moats said. "But if he doesn't, and I was the guy to end the streak, all right. That's a little notable, yeah."

For some, it was hard to believe. Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald tweeted: "Even after the reports about Brett Favre being inactive I STILL won't believe that he's not playing until I see it w/ my own eyes!"