Favre Decides To Retire

There were no tearful farewells this time as Brett Favre informed the New York Jets this morning on his decision for the future.

This time the retirement seems for real as Favre emailed ESPN of his intentions after speaking with Jets owner Woody Johnson.

“Mike and Woody, as well as the entire organization, have been nothing short of outstanding,”‘ Favre said in the e-mail. “My teammates — Thomas and Kerry included — were a pleasure to play with. Eric [Mangini] could not have been any better. I enjoyed playing for him. My time with the Jets was short, but I’m honored to be given that chance.”

Brett Favre retires after a 17-year career.
Brett Favre retires after a 18-year career.

Responding to the decision Johnson was very gracious with Favre and said in a statement, “I had a great conversation with Brett this morning. Considering that he came from a totally different environment and joined our team during training camp, his performance last season was extraordinary.”

“As I spoke with people throughout the organization, they all told me how much they enjoyed working with him. Brett Favre is a Hall-of-Fame player, but he is also a Hall-of-Fame person. Brett, Deanna and his family will always be a part of the Jets family.”

Favre leaves the Jets after one season, leading them to a 9-7 record, but only 1-4 down the stretch, failing to make the playoffs. Mangini paid for it with his job and Favre now ends his 18-year career.

The decision doesn’t come as a surprise. In January, Favre did tell general manager Mike Tannenbaum he was leaning towards retirement and new coach Rex Ryan was looking forward rather than back after he was hired last month.

Now the Jets need to make the serious decisions. First they need a quarterback and according to reports, the team isn’t interested handing the reigns over to Kellen Clemens. They may look to draft a quarterback or sign one as a free agent.

About the Author

Joe McDonald

Editor-in-Chief
Joe McDonald is the founder and former publisher of NY Sports Day. After selling to i15Media in 2020, he serves as the Editor-in-Chief and responsible for the editorial side of the publication. In the past, Joe was the managing editor of NY Sportscene magazine and assistant editor of Mets Inside Pitch. He has covered the Mets since 2004.

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