Brett Is Retiring

by Brandon on Mar 4, 2008 11:36 AM CST in Green Bay Packers News

I never saw it coming. I had been thinking all offseason how it wouldn't make any sense for him to retire after a great season.

But in some way that that makes the most sense in Favre-logic. He didn't retire after GM Ted Thompson came in and got rid of his head coach, veteran offensive line, star wide receiver, all his friends on the team, and failed to trade for WR Randy Moss after Thompson said he would. He didn't retire after most people thought he was done after watching him struggle in 2005 and 2006 with an inferior, and then young, offense. Now when everything has worked out and he's one step away from another Super Bowl, he's finally "mentally tired."

I hope he really means it. I don't want to watch a 40 year old Favre trying to catch the magic one more time on the Packers or some other team after he's stepped away from football for a year.

Obviously this changes the team. Luckily QB Aaron Rodgers looked good when given the chance in 2007, but he's as brittle as Favre is indestructible. There is nothing worth mentioning in the free agent market, although maybe a veteran QB with experience in Mike McCarthy's system like Todd Bouman would have some appeal as a 3rd QB who could be part player/part coach. This is a good draft for quarterbacks and they have to draft a quarterback who can challenge for the starting job and effectively fill-in after the inevitable Rodgers injury.

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The Aaron Rodgers Era

I always said that I wouldn't be surprised by Favre's decision no matter which way it went. But here I am sitting here shocked and bummed. I hate to see the end of such an unbelievably wonderful ride.

Is Craig Nall still around?

by clincher on Mar 4, 2008 1:23 PM CST reply actions

Brett's replacement

Rogers has shown he can play but he has also shown he can get hurt. I think the Green Bay fans want a quarterback similar to Brett and I believe that the best candidate is Ricky Santo from UNH. If you have not seen him play (which is very possible) then boy you have missed one of the mosting exciting college quarterbacks of all time. He was ranked 16th for quarterbacks in the NFL pre-draft lists. He can throw... that Jerry Rice college TD recepition record that fell two years ago was Ricky Santo passing to David Ball!

Guess who Ricky Santo's idol was growing up? Brett.

Get your crying towel at www.snuggleball.com

by mr snuggleball on Mar 4, 2008 4:18 PM CST reply actions

Wow.

Just seems crazy...but as you said, in a way, it makes a kind of sense.

Sixteen years, man. Favre started his big run about the time that I had just started high school. Seems like forever. Hell, last year I was joking that Rodgers would retire before Favre would. Looks like the joke's on us, eh?

I had some great times watching #4 all these years. The improbable comebacks, the insane throws that he would complete. And of course, Super Bowl XXXI--the one time I've been able to see one of my teams of choice win a championship (on TV, sure, but still.)

There were the lows, too. The Vicodin addiction. The interceptions--dear LORD, the interceptions. The way he jerked us all around after that horrible 2005 season. The heartbreaking end to last season. But I know I wouldn't give up any of it, and neither would any of you. For the last decade and a half, we all got to be part of something that we'll never see again. To paraphrase the movie Diggstown, what he did...couldn't be done.

He wasn't perfect. But he was ours. And I miss him already.

I think he said, "Blessed are the cheesemakers!"

by Cool Hand on Mar 4, 2008 5:26 PM CST reply actions

Rodgers the next Steve Young?

found an article relating favre to montana and rodgers to young

http://pocketpresence.blogspot.com/2008/03/favre-montana-rodgers-young.html

by jctowns on Mar 4, 2008 8:35 PM CST reply actions

I won't believe it until August

I was watching First Down this morning on ESPN and Skip had an interesting point.

Randy Moss resigns with the Pats and then the next day Favre retires...?

It has been reported that Favre was willing to committ to at least 2 more years if Randy signed with the Packers, so after losing out on Moss (again) now he is mentally tired? I don't believe it.

I am in no way disrespecting Favre, in fact in my opinion he is the best quarterback of all time, I just think the timing of how this all went down is skeptical. I still think that when spring training rolls around Favre is going to get that itch and I can see him changing his mind and making one last run.

by juandel on Mar 4, 2008 10:53 PM CST reply actions

Not the Best Ever

My original intention was not to make this a referendum on Favre's career. But I do have to refute the above point. Favre is certainly not the best quarterback ever. He is in the discussion, but I think it would be tough to argue he was better than Joe Montana, Bart Star, Johnny Unitas or Dan Marino to name a few.

That being said, I have enormous respect for Brett Favre as a player. Favre played the game of football with a joyfulness I have never seen before. What sticks in my mind is the passion he brought to the game of football. At no time was this passion on better display than this past season, when an aging Favre paired up with a seemingly rag tag group of teammates and took them to the brink of the Super Bowl. In his final year, the essence of Favre was never more evident.

Many people may question the timing of Favre's decision. His team is on the rise and he clearly has not lost the ability to perform at a high level. But I don't. Favre was always a player that poured his heart and soul into the game and when that no longer was in the game, the essence of Favre was gone. Some say it is a shame to see Favre fade off into the sunset having his last pass thrown being an interception. But what better time is there for Favre to ride off into the sunset? It would be more of a shame to see Favre play a season when the one thing that made him special was no longer in it--his heart.

Chris Iafolla Heard in the Cheap Seats http://heardinthecheapseats.com

by Chris Iafolla on Mar 5, 2008 8:24 PM CST up reply actions