Is Brett Favre really gone? It seems as though this time his retirement is for real. But what sparks debate is that the New York Jets released him last Tuesday, making him a free agent. All of the stipulations regarding Favre's trade from the Packers last season are not in effect now that he was released. That means that Brett Favre can play wherever he wants. However, Favre insists that this time his retirement is for real. "At this time, I am retired and have no intention of returning to football" Favre said in a statement. I don't know about you, but it sounds to me that certain circumstances could change Favre's mind.... again.
Far be it from me to question the word of Brett Favre. Its not like he has retired before and has changed his mind. Its not like he waits until the very last minute of the off-season and all of a sudden decides he has to play football come fall. Its not like... well... actually... its exactly like that! He has changed his mind in the past. And, when you make a statement with words like "at this time" and "have no intention", to me it would indicate that given the right time and situation, his intentions would change.
Favre left the Packers last season in a huff. The Packers didn't want him, even though he wanted to come back and play for another year. But, the Packers were in their right to reject Favre's return. He had already retired and had an emotional send off. The Packers had handed down their team to Favre's heir, Aaron Rogers. They had moved on with their lives when Favre decided that retirement was not something he wanted. Brett Favre did not expect the Packers to deny him the team he quarterbacked for 16 seasons. The Packers traded him out of the NFC to the Jets, but the sting from the Packers rejection seemed to still be in Favre's mind.
Now, Favre has a chance to sting the Packers. The Minnesota Vikings, a divisional rival of Green Bay, appears to be just a quarterback away from making a true run for the Super Bowl. There was talk of tampering from the Vikings when Favre was reconsidering retirement last year. Now, that Favre is a free agent, the rumor mill is running hot with talk of Favre returning to football and returning to the NFC North division with the Vikings. In Minnesota, he would face the Packers twice a year, which could be just enough motivation to lure Favre out of retirement.
I'm not sure that I can believe that Brett Favre is completely done with football. Not with him using words like "at this time" and "have no intention". It is definitely possible that at another time, say when the Vikings offer a deal, his intentions would be to finally stick it to the Packers. Even the Vikings head coach Brad Childress acknowledged on Friday that they will assess their interest in the retired QB. Keep in mind that Brett Favre asked to be released from the Jets. Which is a bit odd, considering he's retired and all.
No comments:
Post a Comment