Michael Strahan isn't doing a Brett Favre.

The seven-time Pro Bowler decided to stay retired after seriously considering a request by the Super Bowl champions New York Giants to return to the team in the wake of a season-ending injury to fellow star defensive end Osi Umenyiora.

"He was very close to returning, but the great part about Michael is that he takes his time to think about things and he is very thorough," Tony Agnone said on Tuesday night. "You can get excited about coming back and running through the tunnel one more time."

Agnone said that Strahan struggled deciding whether he could give 100 percent mentally. "In the end, he felt he could not get back to where he was," Agnone said.

The first report of Strahan's decision was provided by FoxSports.com which contacted Strahan in Greece where he was vacationing.

"This has been one of the toughest nights of my life," Strahan told FoxSports.com. "But after long deliberation and throwing around a million scenarios in my head for the past day, I think it's just best if I stay retired."

Giants General Manager Jerry Reese had asked the 36-year-old Strahan to reconsider his retirement on Monday, just 48 hours after the team lost two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Umenyiora to a knee injury in the preseason game against the New York Jets.

Strahan needed just about a day to turn down an offer to return for a 16th season with what could have been a US$8 million contract. "I really love my life now," Strahan said. "It's great having nobody put a finger on me. You really put yourself through an awful lot in this league."

Agnone said money was never an issue. "We know the parameters of the contract and the Giants would have been generous," Agnone said.

Reese did not seem surprised by the decision. "We knew it was a long shot, but we owed it to ourselves to exhaust the possibility," he said. "We appreciate Michael even considering ending his retirement. He has a new career in front of him and we wish him nothing but the best. As we all said when he announced his retirement, Michael was and is a great Giant."

The Giants moved Mathias Kiwanuka from linebacker to defensive end on Monday to take over for Umenyiora, who had knee surgery on Tuesday.

The move will not be a major one for Kiwanuka. He was drafted in the first round in 2006 as a defensive end and started nine games as a rookie. He also lined up as a defensive end in third-down situations last season.

Strahan has signed a US$2 million deal to work for Fox Sports on its National Football League pregame show on Sundays.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily August 28, 2008)