Is Favre Hanging on Too Long?

[maddeep73]

Just wanted your input on Brett Favre's announcement that he will be back for a 17th year.

While I am thrilled as huge Packers fan, I am reminded of past heroes who just wouldn't hang it up, and ended up tarnishing, to verying degrees, stellar careers.

What do you think of Favre's decision? Also, which athletes do you think hurt their images by refusing to end it?

My response? Favre played at a solid level last year and is still the best QB on his team. They won 4 straight to end the year and missed the playoffs by only a tie breaker. They have the youngest team in the league with 3 players named to the all-rookie team. They are well under the cap enough to get some more help to push to the next level. However, a Super Bowl birth is a pipe dream. I for one though, am glad he's back.

As to part two, the athletes that come to mind for me are Willie Mays, Michael Jordon, Mark Messier and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. All top notch, first ballot Hall of Famers, that maybe should have cut and run a year or 2 earlier than they did.

[nelson95]

I saw Favre beat the niners in SF ---he looked pretty good as he did at the end of the season vs da bears. He still has it. How many straight starts?

[MacNews]

I don't follow the NFL very much, but from what I can see he should hang it up. I know Green Bay sucks as a team but Favre should call it, I think he's played enough. Ditto with DA.

[TheLionKing]

If he can still do the job why can't he play for another season. Age is but a number.

[Rammer]

If he can still do the job why can't he play for another season. Age is but a number.

Unless the GBP are a SB contender, what does Favre have to prove at this point of his career? Oh and they won't be a SB contender in his final season, for those without any NFL knowledge.

Hang'em up, go out with your chin held high and don't let another season on the downside of your career be what fans remember you by Brett.

[Robbie]

Brett Favre has indeed had a great career in the NFL, with numerous achievements such as:

1997 Super Bowl
1997 co-AP NFL MVP
1996 AP NFL MVP
1996 UPI NFC Off POY
1996 PFWA MVP
1996 Bert Bell Award
1995 AP NFL MVP
1995 AP Offensive POY
1995 PFWA MVP
1995 UPI NFC Off POY
1995 Bert Bell Award

So he has won three season MVP's and one Super Bowl.

But unlike Jerry Rice, and also players in other leagues such as Michael Jordan in the NBA and Gretzky and Sakic in the NHL, there are still some individual MVP awards that Favre did not win: he was not selected the MVP in Super Bowl XXXI and despite playing in eight Pro Bowls, he was never selected game MVP. Maybe he wants to another chance to win a Super Bowl while being selected MVP in that as well as to obtain this trophy shown below to end his storybook career.

[Lionheart]

Maybe... perhaps he just loves playing football and is still good enough to do so.

I dunno, just thought I'd through that one out there.

[Tighthead]

I have no problem with a guy hanging on, and don't really buy the "tarnishing their career" argument.

One interesting thing about Favre's career is it peaked fairly early - after Holmgren left he was still productive, but really lost his sense of risk management. Holmgren is the only coach who could discipline Favre from making lots of turnovers. Since then, which was several years ago, he has been a "gunslinger" and rather error prone. Still productive, but lots of senseless picks.

[West Coast Blue Fan]

He is still only 2-3 TD's behind Marino for all time leader....plus maybe he just like playing?????

[Lionut]

Favre was looking like he was done in '05, but had a bit of a renaissance last year, especially in the second half of the season. Besides, right now he is Green Bay's best option, so they are happy to have him. It's a year by year proposition for a guy at this age, but I think he's got one more season left in him. At the same time, however, the Packers have to get Aaron Rodgers some reps at some point in '07, so they can decide if this guy has a future with them or not.

One factor that may have helped Favre decide -- Green Bay has a fair bit of cap room, and thus can afford to go shopping in the off-season. They are well positioned to scoop up a few key free agents and/or salary cap casualties from other clubs, and plug some holes. Green Bay may not be that far away from contending again...

[maddeep73]

One factor that may have helped Favre decide -- Green Bay has a fair bit of cap room, and thus can afford to go shopping in the off-season. They are well positioned to scoop up a few key free agents and/or salary cap casualties from other clubs, and plug some holes. Green Bay may not be that far away from contending again...

True. This probably made him even more optimistic even than the 4 wins to close the season. However, by all accounts he never asked the coach or the President about their off season intentions.

He is still only 2-3 TD's behind Marino for all time leader....plus maybe he just like playing?????

This is true too. He only needs 3800 yards to take over in yardage too. He has thrown for more than that 3 years in a row.