Ohio State tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells is giving up his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft.

Wells issued a statement yesterday saying the move is in the best interest of his family.

"I want to thank my teammates, my coaches, my teachers and the academic advisors for all they have done, and I definitely want to thank the Buckeye fans for all their support," Wells said. "Ohio State has become like a family to me, and it will always be that way."

Wells fought nagging injuries much of his career at Ohio State. He was considered a Heisman Trophy candidate before missing three full games this past season with a right foot injury, but still managed to run for 1,197 yards.

He saw limited action in the second half of Monday's Fiesta Bowl due to symptoms of a concussion, finishing with 106 yards on 16 carries in the Buckeyes' 24-21 loss to Texas.

In three seasons at Ohio State, Wells ran for 3,382 yards, fourth best in school history.

He's projected to be one of the first running backs selected in the draft.

"Ohio State football will miss Beanie's big runs," coach Jim Tressel said, "but we will also miss his big smile."

QB FAVRE WILL TAKE TIME BEFORE DECIDING

Brett Favre is going to take his time before deciding whether to return with the New York Jets next season.

The 39-year-old quarterback told ESPN yesterday that he's following the advice of Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum by not making a hasty decision on his future.

"He said he's not going to bother me for three or four weeks," Favre said. "He told me to do whatever, and he'd give me a call in a month. Maybe I will tell him my answer that day. But he told me to get away and don't even think about football."

Favre said he plans to make a quiet decision without a public news conference if he does retire, unlike the emotional departure last offseason when he announced he was stepping away from the game only to return a few months later.

WR BOLDIN WILL BE GAME-TIME DECISION

Anquan Boldin says he won't give his injured hamstring a serious test until just before kickoff of Arizona's divisional playoff game at Carolina tomorrow night.

"We're just trying to be smart about the entire situation and just see how it feels on Saturday," Boldin said.

The Pro Bowl wide receiver sat out practice for the third day in a row yesterday to rest the injury, doing only minor rehabilitation work.

"It's a fine line that you have between doing enough and doing too much," he said.

Boldin strained his left hamstring on a 71-yard touchdown pass play in the second quarter of last Saturday's 30-24 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

ELSEWHERE

Vikings: Minnesota right guard Anthony Herrera is recovering from shoulder surgery. Coach Brad Childress revealed the operation yesterday, a day after it was performed, saying Herrera had already begun his rehabilitation and will have "a maximum amount of time to recover." Herrera started all 16 games this season, playing through his injury.

Early entry: Wisconsin junior running back P.J. Hill will enter the NFL draft, ending his career third on the Badgers' all-time rushing list with 3,996 yards. He finished last season with 1,161 yards and 13 TDs.