Following the final game of the 2005 regular season, visiting Seattle coach Mike Holmgren and Favre’s teammates showered him with retirement-type praise; after the Packers’ New Year’s Eve season-finale against Chicago in 2006, Favre shed a river of man-tears, professing his love for his teammates; and finally, a little more than a month after his interception in the 2008 NFC Championship game cost the Packers a chance at a Super Bowl appearance, he held a sob-fest of a press conference “officially” announcing his retirement.
Following his recent trend of keeping the Packers in quarterback limbo as they approach training camp, it appears Favre may be reneging on his recent retirement claims.
For the third straight offseason the man who once called out teammate Javon Walker for threatening to skip training camp over a contract dispute is once again holding Green Bay hostage.
Was his “retirement” speech just a ploy to skip out of training camp, or does he truly enjoy messing with the franchise?
Favre is calling these recent reports “rumor,” but then how do you explain his mother and brother — who said there’s a 50/50 chance Farve returns to the NFL — running their yaps to the media about the ordeal?
His mother recently said her son didn’t feel like the franchise wanted him back the last couple of years. Funny, because the franchise gave him over $20 million during that time and made him the starter despite the prolonged wavering on his decision to return.
It’s time for the Packers to officially close the book on the Favre Era. Sure, the team caught lightning in a bottle last year and stormed all the way to the NFC Championship game in a weak conference, but keep in mind Favre has tossed 62 interceptions over the past three seasons and will turn 39 in October. His best days are far behind him.
Favre will not lead the franchise back to the Promised Land in 2008 and former first-round pick Aaron Rodgers has waited long enough for his turn at the helm as he enters his fourth NFL season.
Assuming Favre’s emotional retirement speech was sincere, the Packers invested two draft picks in quarterbacks — Louisville’s Brian Brohm (second round) and LSU’s Matt Flynn (seventh round) — and the franchise can ill-afford to put another wrench in their “Post-Favre”
planning.
If Favre decides to be stubborn and asks to be taken off the reserve/retired list, that would be even better for the Packers. Two words — trade him. There are enough teams with quarterback issues that someone would bite, and maybe even for a third or fourth-round pick. Additionally, acquiring Favre would be tempting for teams looking to put people in the seats. Some Packers fans may revolt at first but it’s Green Bay, they’ll come back — what else are they going to do?
Favre is one of the best quarterbacks of all time and helped the Packers win their first Super Bowl since the 1960s. He should be remembered for those things, not the mess he’s about to cause. Turn the page, Green Bay.
