BRETT FAVRE

BRETT FAVRE, July 15, 2008
Much has been made over the past few weeks about the potential return to the NFL of Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre. Over the past few years during the off season, the Packers and Favre have had to determine whether or not Favre would return to the Packers and play the next season. This off season, Favre announced that he had enough and retired from the NFL. The Packers took the resignation and moved forward with former first round draft pick Aaron Rodgers as their new starting quarterback.

Favre spent 17 of his 18 NFL seasons in Green Bay and led the Packers to a Super Bowl Championship in 1997 and a Super Bowl runner up spot in 1998. He has been the face of the team and one of the NFL’s brightest and most marketable stars. Since Favre announced his retirement, the team announced that Rodgers would be the team’s starting quarterback. Rodgers led the Packers this off season at team mini-camps and off season training sessions. Favre, on the other hand, did not show up for any of these team related events, instead settled in his Mississippi farm and tried to enjoy his retirement.

Last week it came out that Favre sent a text message to Packers General manager, Ted Thompson expressing his interest in returning to the team. He said this week that at the time of his retirement he felt pressured by the Packers to make a decision. The Packers, having grown tired of the yearly will he or won’t he play this year dilemma, asked Favre to make a decision so that the Packers could plan for the upcoming year. Favre announced his decision in March and the Packers moved forward with the Aaron Rodgers era and even drafted two additional quarterbacks in this year’s draft. If the Packers anticipated Favre coming back, I doubt that they would have spent two draft choices on his position, particularly when they were so close to making the Super Bowl this past season. The team, in a weak NFC North division, would have been one of the favorites to be in next year’s Super Bowl had Favre returned. But as is the norm in sports, when a team loses its super-star, they must play with the players on its roster. Like the Lions had to struggle without Barry Sanders following his last minute retirement, the Packers had to prepare for the 2008 season under the assumption that Aaron Rodgers was going to be their starting quarterback.

We don’t really know how good Rodgers will be this year. The most that we remember of Rodgers was his draft day fall three years ago where he was the last player in the green room in New York on draft day. The Packers drafted him 24th overall in the 2005 draft. He has been an understudy to Favre the past hew years learning the system. The Packers felt that he was now ready to start and once Favre made his decision, the Packers turned to Rodgers to lead the team.

With Favre’s now decision to try and return to the NFL this year puts the Packers in a tough spot. Obviously, the Packers are better with Favre as their starting quarterback. However, if they allow Favre to come back and start, what does that mean for Rodgers? Does Rodgers stay for the next few years after being proclaimed the starting quarterback and then losing the starting job without doing anything? Also, what does Favre’s coming back do to team morale? Do other players feel that Favre got away without having to show up for any off season workouts? If Favre was able to do it, shouldn’t they also be able to not have to show up? Should the Packers trade Favre? According to GM Thompson, no team has contacted the Packers about trading for Favre, so that likely means that other NFL teams are either anticipating that the Packers will have to release Favre or they will play Favre. Either way, most teams are likely not willing to give up a lot in order to trade for Favre. If the Packers were to release Favre would any team be interested in signing him? Of course, teams like the Bears and the Vikings would likely jump at the opportunity to have the future Hall of Famer join and lead their team. The problem with this scenario is that both of those teams are in the Packers division. Why would the Packers want to help make their competition stronger? They don’t want to and probably will do everything in their power to make sure that Favre doesn’t play for a division rival.

We all make decisions we wish we could take back after. Did the Packers force Favre to retire? Did they put too much pressure on him to make a decision too soon after the season finished? The only ones that know the answer to those questions are the Packers and Favre. The Packers would be crazy to allow Favre to become a free agent and sign with whomever he wants. Favre though wants to play and is still one of the top quarterbacks in the league. If he changed his mind and would like to continue his career, he should be able to. What does this mean? In all likelihood, it means that the Packers will have Brett Favre as their starting quarterback this year. Favre still has 3 years and $39 million left on his contract with the Packers. This is really an easy decision; the Packers must take back Favre and have him be their starting quarterback. He is a Packer legend and he should not be allowed to wear any other team’s jersey. This might suck for Aaron Rodgers, but Aaron Rodgers is no Brett Favre...