Favre to Retire...

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

So what is the over/under on the maximum number of consecutive starts Aaron Rodgers gets? 12?

That is the worry for me right now. Not that he can't do the job, but that he can stay healthy to do it.

[Arles]

To be honest, I feel OK with Rodgers, Craig Nall and a 3-5th round pick at QB for this season. Rodgers should be a solid starter and I think Nall has always done well in GB's system when he's played (just 4-5 pro games). I could be swayed for a vet backup, but it has to be a guy like Frerotte or someone willing to sit. The last thing I want is Culpepper or Leftwhich in here acting like they should be the starter in August.

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by Arles

To be honest, I feel OK with Rodgers, Craig Nall and a 3-5th round pick at QB for this season. Rodgers should be a solid starter and I think Nall has always done well in GB's system when he's played (just 4-5 pro games). I could be swayed for a vet backup, but it has to be a guy like Frerotte or someone willing to sit. The last thing I want is Culpepper or Leftwhich in here acting like they should be the starter in August.

I think Rodgers can be good, he just hasn't been very healthy while on the bench. Nall would need to be resigned, he is currently a FA. Dalton Bell and Jerry Baab (both undrafted FA's) are currently on the roster and who knows if either is good enough to be a #3 yet. I trust McCarthy to figure that out though.

[Arles]

Originally Posted by Cringer

Nall would need to be resigned, he is currently a FA.

Good thing GB has $35 million in available cap space then. I'm sure Nall will be a hot commodity If GB wants him back, I think he'll stay.

[Crim]

Originally Posted by Kodos

I bet he starts 256 games in a row.

That seems high to me.

[Fonzie]

Originally Posted by Crim

That seems high to me.

The number? Or Kodos?

[JimmyWint]

Sounds like they have already contacted Mark Brunell. He would be the Veteran backup, and then perhaps draft a qb in rounds 4-7.

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by Arles

Good thing GB has $35 million in available cap space then. I'm sure Nall will be a hot commodity If GB wants him back, I think he'll stay.

$35 million might be able to cover Nall's salary, he could get expensive though if Tampa decides they want him in their 5 man rotation.

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by JimmyWint

Sounds like they have already contacted Mark Brunell. He would be the Veteran backup, and then perhaps draft a qb in rounds 4-7.

Whoa, I missed this at first. Brunell? Crap, maybe next year they can bring in Ty Detmer then. Aaron Brooks after that, and by then Hasselback should need a job and he can come in. Just something odd trying to take one of Favre's first backup and making him Rodgers' first backup.

[Dr. Sak]

I wonder if Don Majkowski can still play?

[Cringer]

You damn well know he can. The Majik Man will always be able to play......except when those leg injuries happen. Other then that, Don kicks ass. Go mullets!

Oh crap, Rodgers kind of has a mullet. I wonder if Don is behind the scenes training him?

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by Cringer

I think Rodgers can be good, he just hasn't been very healthy while on the bench.

How do you get hurt riding the pine? Butt splinters? Unfortunate clipboard accidents? Poked in the eye by a rogue cheerleader?

[Cringer]

This last season it was a pulled hamstring in practice. He was getting some reps then though because it was right after the Dallas game I think.

[Cringer]

Great press conference going on. I admit I got a little choked up at one point. I may be a big girl, but it happened.

[kurtism]

A different kind of "tribute" to #4 (warning, written by a Vikings fan):

hxxp://kissmesuzy.blogspot.com/2008/03/im-gonna-miss-this-game-but-i-think-ill.html

note - nsfw

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Cringer

Great press conference going on. I admit I got a little choked up at one point. I may be a big girl, but it happened.

Are athletes the only people who ever cry when they retire? Any accountants out there shed tears when they left KPMG?

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by Logan

Are athletes the only people who ever cry when they retire? Any accountants out there shed tears when they left KPMG?

Actually, I had a couple tears when I stopped driving a truck. I didn't full out cry but I had a heavy heart and wet eyes. I love being home, and am having a great time and would not want to go back to driving anytime soon. I do miss it though, and it was hard to leave. It's a major change in lifestyle that is the key factor maybe, and leaving behind something you loved so much and gave everything you had to it, that you gave up parts of your 'normal' life to do.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Logan

Are athletes the only people who ever cry when they retire? Any accountants out there shed tears when they left KPMG?

I would suggest going to a military retirement ceremony. I have been to 6-8 in the last year. I think maybe one has been tear free.

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by stevew

Wayne Fonts needs another head coaching job.

It makes me want to cry that I long for the days of the Big Buck.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by kurtism

A different kind of "tribute" to #4 (warning, written by a Vikings fan):

hxxp://kissmesuzy.blogspot.com/2008/03/im-gonna-miss-this-game-but-i-think-ill.html

note - nsfw

brilliant.

[cartman]

Here is The Onion's take on Favre's retirement.

hxxp://www.theonion.com/content/news/packers_tell_fans_they_gave_favre

Packers Tell Fans They Gave Favre To A Nice Farm Family

GREEN BAY, WI—The Green Bay Packers addressed questions concerning the current status, future plans, and whereabouts of recently retired quarterback Brett Favre by announcing Monday that they had sent him to the country to live on a beautiful farm with a very nice family.

"We know you loved Brett Favre, but he wasn't happy here. He couldn't stay here," Packers general manager Ted Thompson told hundreds of quiet but tear-streaked Packer fans assembled at the televised Lambeau Field press conference. "And he loved you, too—he loved you very much indeed—but he needed to go someplace where he could run and jump and throw his favorite football around. And he couldn't do that here anymore."

"So we took Brett out behind the Don Hutson practice facility last night, and we… Coach McCarthy and I, we… We gave him one last hug, and we said goodbye to him, and Brett went away forever," Thompson said, his voice breaking several times. "Those loud banging noises you heard were probably the truck backfiring. He went to the farm in a truck, you know."

Thompson then unveiled an artist's conception of Favre frolicking in the fields at the lovely farm, which he said was "a very, very nice place where they do not have winters or telephones" and "believe me, absolutely not Favre's farm in Hattiesburg, Mississippi."

"Don't be sad," Packer head coach Mike McCarthy told fans, many of whom began crying audibly, shaking their heads, or turning away at the news. "You should be happy for Brett. He is in a much better place now. He has many of your other favorite Packers, really great Packers like Reggie White and Ray Nitschke and Max McGee, to keep him company. And he even has a coach—Vince Lombardi is on that farm, too."

Although Packers officials gave no specific details of the farm, its location, or the family who will now take care of Favre, Thompson confirmed that it is "far, far away, beyond the football fields we know, in a very happy place where Brett will never be cold or get sacked ever again."

"There are no winters there, and no injuries, and no interceptions, and even though people will play football with Brett all day, they all have so much fun that no one remembers who won or who lost," McCarthy added. "Brett loved Green Bay, and it is a nice place, but this farm is even nicer. It was just time for him to go there."

Although many fans were upset that Favre had to leave to go to the farm even more suddenly than he retired, most seemed to understand that their quarterback was old and tired and needed to rest.

Team officials gently but firmly refused all fan and media requests to visit Favre on the farm.

"Someday we'll all join him there," Thompson added, avoiding the eyes of fans and reporters while seeming to look past them at something far in the distance. "Someday. But not for a long, long time. Right now, just be happy for Brett. Wherever he is now, what he wants most is for you to be happy."

Thompson also confirmed that Favre's jersey was still available from the Packer Pro Shop and that as long as Favre had gone to the farm, the $1.6 million outstanding on Favre's contract would not count towards the salary cap and be returned to the team.

[Cringer]

Started out pretty funny. I kept waiting for another good joke at the end but nothing....

[BrianD]

How many people do you think eagerly jumped at this thread when bumped hoping/fearing that they were going to see news that he changed his mind about retiring?

[Cringer]

I am guessing you Brian.

I am sure he is gone for good so I was thinking it was Rodgers related or something.....

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by BrianD

How many people do you think eagerly jumped at this thread when bumped hoping/fearing that they were going to see news that he changed his mind about retiring?

/raises hand

[Cringer]

So the Packers have decided to retire Brett Favre's jersey.........during the season opener on September 8th. I am guessing Favre will be there, but I thought they would do it later in the season to make sure he would be there.

So, uh, Aaron Rodgers, in your first start replacing the latest legend of Green Bay the Packers have made sure he is sitting there watching. Rodgers is a easy going guy so I am sure it isn't a big deal to him, but it's still kind of funny to me they did this.

[Ksyrup]

They probably did it to make it harder for Favre to think about coming back. If they could, I'm sure they'd petition the NFL to put him in the HoF immediately, like Gretzky.

[Horizon]

Originally Posted by Arles

To be honest, I feel OK with Rodgers, Rodgers should be a solid starter

Based on what? I think Rodgers is going to be a good starter, but he has ZERO experience at being a teams #1 QB on the depth chart. Shouldn't the PAckers at least ask Rodgers to earn the starting job?

Greenbay is a good young team and deserves a #1 QB that either has experience, or wins the job in camp. Nobody here knows what Rodgers is going to do once the season starts and is the teams #1 QB.


GB needs to bring in a veteran QB, just in case Rodgers can not handle the pressure of being a teams #1. There is a huge difference between starting as a teams backup QB and actually being listed #1 on the depth chart.

[Ksyrup]

Source: Favre has 'itch' to ditch retirement, report to camp

By Chris Mortensen
ESPN.com

With his family "tugging" on him to play, Brett Favre has an "itch" to come out of retirement and report to training camp with the Green Bay Packers later this month, according to sources close to the team and player.

Favre has communicated his potential desire to coach Mike McCarthy but talks have not advanced to a substantive stage, a Packers source said.

The source said the Packers would be reluctant to open the door for Favre because "Brett retired for the right reasons, even though I know his family is tugging on him [to play]."

Another source conceded Favre was "getting the itch" to play football in 2008.

However, Favre's agent downplayed the likelihood that the quarterback could un-retire or that he was prepared to report to camp July 28.

"As far as I know, right now, Brett Favre is retired and until he tells me something different, that's what it is," James "Bus" Cook, Favre's agent, said.

Favre was unavailable for comment. A Packers spokesman said that McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson were on vacation.

Favre has two years remaining on his contract at an average of about $12.5 million per season. His salary is not currently counting toward the salary cap because the Packers placed him on the reserve-retired list.

If Favre decides that he absolutely wants to play this season, the Packers could be confronted with a sensitive issue. The entire offseason has been spent preparing Aaron Rodgers to play quarterback to the point where "the offensive scheme has evolved" and, psychologically, closing the door on Favre's legendary 17-year career.

If the Packers resist a stronger push by Favre to return, sources speculate that the quarterback could press the team to release him from his contract so that he could seek a job with another team. A league official said that Favre could force a decision by asking the Packers, in writing, to reinstate him to active status. The team would have to comply or release him.

"That's speculation and I wouldn't go there," a team source said. "We value Brett's legacy, we think he values it, and we'd want to protect that. Brett's a high-quality person and he's not going to push it that far. He'll do the right thing [and stay retired]. This was almost predictable, the idea that Brett would get the itch to play as we get closer to the season."

In an interview done with ESPN around the time Favre retired in early March, McCarthy predicted Favre "will have an itch to come back. I saw Joe Montana go through it, even though I was a younger coach in Kansas City at the time."

McCarthy said it was Favre who convinced the coach that retirement was the "right thing to do."

"I tried to talk him out of retirement," McCarthy said back in March. "Tom Clements [Green Bay's quarterbacks coach] and I were trying to sell him on the concept that he could still play at a high level with 80-to-85 percent of the commitment he had last year. Brett thought that maybe he could do it but he reasoned that when you cut back the commitment, you open yourself up to injury, to not being on top of your game -- which was very important to Brett -- and letting the team down in the process.

"Really, what Brett did was very honorable because the stress and pressure he feels is a direct result of the standard he sets for himself."

Chris Mortensen covers the NFL for ESPN.

[MikeVic]

Yeah, go Favre lol.

[Kodos]

I'm probably in the minority here, but if he wants to come back, by all means let him, whether in GB or wherever.

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by Kodos

I'm probably in the minority here, but if he wants to come back, by all means let him, whether in GB or wherever.

That's probably what will happen, if he wants to come back.

[PackerFanatic]

Damn, beat me to it.

I am a huge Packer fan (obviously) and have grown up loving Favre...but really, Brett? REALLY? You went out on your own terms and for good reasons - and you will just throw that away and start toying with the fans and more importantly, the team? This is starting to get old fast...

[PackerFanatic]

And I will be interested to hear how this all plays anyway, since it was just a "source" that said it.

[Ksyrup]

If I was in GB's front office, I'd grant him his release (or maybe try to get something of value for him from another team) and let him go. They need to move on, even if he can't/won't. Honestly, I'll think less of him if he does come back. You make a decision, people rely on that to make other plans, you stick with it.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by PackerFanatic

And I will be interested to hear how this all plays anyway, since it was just a "source" that said it.

Actually, it's multiple sources, from within the team and from close to him.

[PackerFanatic]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

If I was in GB's front office, I'd grant him his release (or maybe try to get something of value for him from another team) and let him go. They need to move on, even if he can't/won't. Honestly, I'll think less of him if he does come back. You make a decision, people rely on that to make other plans, you stick with it.

Exactly.

Although it would be weird as hell (and a little disheartening) if he played somewhere else...especially since there are two teams right off the top of my head that I can think of that need a QB that I would NOT want to see him play for at all (CHI and MIN)

[Jas_lov]

Yeah, the Packers are in a tough spot with this if it's true. They can't really tell Favre to go away because he's a legend. But for the past few months the team has been preparing as if Aaron Rodgers would take over and he's ready. I'm sure Rodgers is already sick of all of the Favre questions and now it's just going to get worse.

[molson]

What a distraction. Even if Favre stays away, the fans are going to start calling for hin to step in as soon as Rodgers strugges.

The Packers definitely need to be as public as possible, "Rodgers is our QB".

[PackerFanatic]

Originally Posted by molson

What a distraction. Even if Favre stays away, the fans are going to start calilng for hin to step in as soon as Rodgers strugges.

The Packers definitely need to be as public as possible, "Rodgers is our QB".

Agreed. And that is the mindsight I have, but not many others do.

[Honolulu_Blue]

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

That's probably what will happen, if he wants to come back.

Great, let him unretire along with his buddies Warren Sapp and Michael Strahan and let all three sign with Tampa Bay for a one year final fling tour. Tampa doesn't have a young qb anyway and besides Gaines Adams, the rest of the DLine is replaceable. What could it hurt?

[Zelig]

Chris Simms says Tampa is bad for QB's.

[Karlifornia]

Favre is just coming back so he can disprove the madden curse

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by Zelig

Chris Simms says Tampa is bad for QB's.

Only bad for their spleens.

[mckerney]

[mauchow]

Favre says just a rumor.

[Passacaglia]

Favre fudged his retirement statement.

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by Axxon

Only bad for their spleens.

I've never been to Tampa.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Favre fudged his retirement statement.

He called Sam Madison?