Favre Hints Towards Retiring ‘Again’ After Season

by: Joe Pietaro | NY Sportscene Magazine | Friday, December 19, 2008



Nothing is forever, not even grisly, 39-year-old quarterbacks that still have enough youthful exuberance to challenge a second grader. When Brett Favre ‘un-retired’ over the summer and forced his way out of Green Bay, even he had to realize that he had one, maybe two years left in his right arm.

When the Jets made the trade for Favre in August, it came with no promises. That was the gamble that general manager had to make. To have the opportunity to bring in one of the best quarterbacks of all time – even a slower version – was too hard to pass up. The team had spent a ton of money in the offseason to upgrade the offensive line and entire defense, so to put all his eggs in one basket was not the most drastic of decisions.

With the Jets currently in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC East at 9-5, it would appear that everything is in place to continue the dream. Perhaps that is why Favre decided to remind everyone that he is not going to be sporting the green and white forever.

“It very well could be my last. It could be my last three games or four games,” said Favre, obviously considering possible playoff games with only two left on the regular season schedule.

For a man that could not see himself standing before reporters talking about football at this stage a year ago, he isn’t discounting anything. “If you would have asked me last year before the (NFC) Championship game, I would have said you need to quit drinking,” Favre joked. “I know what’s possibly ahead for us, but I have no idea what’s possibly ahead for me.”

What lies directly ahead for the Jets are the 3-11 Seattle Seahawks, who play host to Gang Green on Sunday. For a team that controls their own destiny, it would behoove the Jets to snap their west coast hex (0-3 so far this season) and put themselves in a position to clinch a playoff berth at home the following weekend versus the surprising Dolphins, who are a part of that trifecta leading the division along with the Patriots.

Whatever the next two weeks hold for the Jets, Favre knows that it isn’t all on his shoulders. “One guy, I know this for a fact, doesn’t make or break a team,” he said. “I made a commitment that they were not hinging their season on me. They had already made a lot of acquisitions. I knew full well that once I signed here that that didn’t put us in the Super Bowl.”

Maybe not, but for an organization and their fans that have been through the likes of the Mud Bowl, a Mark Gastineau late hit, Browning Nagle and so much ‘less’ over the past 40 years, hearing a statement like that – regardless of how much it really makes sense – is a tough pill to swallow.

But it will pale in comparison to a scenario where former Jet Chad Pennington comes into the Meadowlands in Week 17 and lead Miami to the postseason while knocking out the Jets, who hold a press conference shortly thereafter announcing that Favre is really hanging ‘em up this time.