How can this be? How can one of the NFL’s most popular players wear out his welcome in one of the most forgiving cities in the league? By not staying true to word is one reason, by making the Packers look bad in the process is another. One would think that a 38-year old man would be a little more mature. In a span of three weeks in March Favre retired, un-retired, and then re-retired. Like any employer, you have to eventually draw the line and move on. After Favre’s flip-flopping burned them for the final time, the Packers did move on. Favre had to know his actions in March would leave the Packers cool to yet another change of mind so to come out and ask for your release and start a campaign of disinformation about general manager Ted Thompson is very discouraging. If it wasn’t for the players Thompson put around Favre last year Favre wouldn’t have had the chance to blow another home playoff game and be forgiven for it.
Thompson is not the cause of this controversy, Favre is. Why not be a man of your word. If Favre wasn’t ready to make a decision in March then he shouldn’t have done it. Maybe the Packers would have released or traded him then if they didn’t want him. Certainly it wouldn’t have come to this. Thompson said today that Favre is welcome to come back and back up Aaron Rodgers, but we all know that won’t happen. The Packers also won’t just release Favre and let him go to the Vikings, so what is best for the team would be to trade Favre to another team outside the division or convince Favre that he should stay retired.
If Favre thinks he can just walk into another team’s training camp and have great year he will most certainly be disappointed. The Packers under Mike Sherman gave Favre a free pass in the offseason and Favre responded with some of his poorest seasons ever, culminating with his now infamous 29 interceptions in 2005. Even if he played for and started for the Packers this year, I doubt he comes close to the numbers he put up last year. 2007 was a once-in-a-lifetime year for a player of Favre’s age and that is why it was such a perfect time to retire. To see Favre ride the pines due to injury or poor play will be hard to take.
The pressure on Rodgers just magnified tenfold as well. The fact that the Packers have chosen him over Favre to be the starter says a great deal about the Packers belief that they will still be a winning team with or without Favre. The Packers better win now or many good men will be out of work and the future of the Packers will be in serious doubt. In todays NFL, no way a team in the league’s smallest market survives another 29-year losing drought like they had in the 70s and 80s. The team will be forced to fold and it’s assets sold with the money going to the Green Bay chapter of the American Legion. All because Favre couldn’t make up his mind. I wouldn’t want to be Rodgers.
If the Packers trade Favre and go on to have a great season, then these last few weeks will be forgotten and Thompson will be proved right. If they struggle and Favre pulls off the miracle and has another great season for someone else, Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy will not be around long. Sad times indeed in Titletown, USA.