April 26, 2006

Sources: Favre to play '06 season for Packers: Brett Favre informed the Packers on Tuesday that he will definitely play the 2006 season in Green Bay, league and team sources have told ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

posted by STUNNER to football at 12:45 AM - 54 comments

I'm sure Favre is very happy that he has the chance to beat the all-time interception record. There should be some sort of NFL rule that gives financial incentives to all-time greats to retire when their time has come, rather than continue to play in order to embarass themselves.

posted by uglatto at 01:22 AM on April 26, 2006

After the Bears pound him the first and last games of the season, he can finally go away and try to remember just why he came back.

posted by wdminott at 03:39 AM on April 26, 2006

he just might be great for one more year hes only two years removed from top 5 numbers i say he does it and supprises no one

posted by BigSpizznizzle at 04:51 AM on April 26, 2006

Not surprised he came back after stringing his team along for so long. I wish him well. Difficult to see him putting up top 5 numbers on that team Spizznizzle.

posted by DudeDykstra at 06:42 AM on April 26, 2006

Oh yeah, he really seems to have lived up to the "only if the team commits to improving" bit. I think the Pack should just dive into rebuilding mode instead of trying to milk out a squad that has far too many holes. With all the gaps this team has, they're better off prepping Rodgers while they replace their aging veterans with a younger core. With that said, a new season is a new everything; not many people expected the Bears to come close to contending last season and while the situation is certainly different with the Pack, they're currently tied for the best record in the NFL for the 2006-2007 season.

posted by PublicUrinal at 07:06 AM on April 26, 2006

Brett Favre and Roger Clemens should buy a house together and fill the place with floor-to-ceiling mirrors. Both of them have cheapened their legacy by turning retirement speculation into such a prolonged look-at-me soap opera.

posted by rcade at 07:13 AM on April 26, 2006

And if V. Young should happen to fall to the fifth spot in the draft, what are the Pack to do? While it would have been possible to take Young with Rogers already signed (who wouldn't take a top-5 pick even if a 20-something was already in camp?) there is no way the salary-cap would stand 3 top teir QB salaries, not if they want to improve the defense, or the O-line, or any of the other shortcomings this team will have. Personally, as a Pack fan, I would have preferred to have had him at Lambeau on draft day, and make his annoumncement based on Youngs being on the board or not come the fifth pick...

posted by elovrich at 07:46 AM on April 26, 2006

The difference is Roger Clemens pimps himself out to anyone with money - Favre shows his love to only one team. You Bears fans should start your own thread, it must be a devastating day for you guys - instead of two pushover games, now it will not be so easy. Print up your Urlacher Jerseys and prepare yourselves for failure - your success last year only gave you a tougher schedule for this year. The Bears still suck! and uh, who is your quarterback this year?

posted by krer300 at 07:51 AM on April 26, 2006

It amazes me that people portray Favre as selfish and egotistical. Was he holding out for more money? Was he taking every opportunity to place himself in front of the media? Was he asking to be traded to a contending team and one with established offensive weapons so he could have one more shot of fame and Super Bowl?( Hint- the answers to the above questions are "NO"!) Gee, I wonder how many teams would have gone after Favre if he was available? Who would want the only 3 time MVP on their team? Once again Brett has proven that there is no "I" in team.

posted by Tundra fan at 08:20 AM on April 26, 2006

Farve to return...T Owens quiet (for now)...R Williams suspended...again...Anymore more of these annual soap operas to finish this off-season...???

posted by phillyolhead at 08:29 AM on April 26, 2006

Good luck to Favre and the Packers. As for the Bears, I think the playoffs showed the team they are - a team that had a really good record only because of the NFL's weighted schedule program that gives the illusion of parity. Just watch. The Bears will crash and burn their way this year to a 7-9 record.

posted by joecab at 08:31 AM on April 26, 2006

Favre shows his love to only one team. You Bears fans should start your own thread, it must be a devastating day for you guys - instead of two pushover games, now it will not be so easy. Print up your Urlacher Jerseys and prepare yourselves for failure . . . . Who would want the only 3 time MVP on their team? 1. Funny way of showing his love. I would hate to have a Vengeful Favre. 2. How did those games get tougher? Favre's been a mess for a couple of years. 3. Print up jerseys? Are times that tough in Chi-town? 4. Who is Green Bay's QB this year? 5. Joe Montana, Bart Starr, Johnny Unitas: still available.

posted by yerfatma at 08:57 AM on April 26, 2006

favre should just be greatful he hasnt had 10 concussions yet (or has he? he does throw a lot of interceptions...). steve young retired to early because of it. poor, poor, steve.

posted by SleepingChicken at 09:44 AM on April 26, 2006

That is too bad Favre is coming back. The Pack has an excellent QB in Aaron Rogers, I wish the 49ers had taken him instead of Alex Smith. Maybe Favre will get hurt and they will have to put in Rogers! Go Sharks, BrownDuck

posted by BrownDuck at 10:06 AM on April 26, 2006

Ahh we can finally sleep... until next year... oh yea, since we were waiting on Farve (cause 10 mil is a drop in the salary cap bucket... right) we couldn't move on a number of free agents. It was pretty damned assinine of him to demand we do something for him to consider coming back, when those decisions vary greatly depoending on if he is or isn't. If I was Ted Thompson I would have seriously considered saying "fine stay in Mississippi and ride your mower" after a month or two. I appreciate Brett for all he's done but all he did in the end was throw our next couple seasons in the crapper.

posted by wisportcheese at 10:18 AM on April 26, 2006

I didn't know they allowed walkers or canes on the field for the QB? This is going to be like watching an old fighter try for one too many comebacks. I think I'll skip watching any games with GB this year.

posted by commander cody at 10:21 AM on April 26, 2006

It could be worse though. They could have hired Joey Harrington as a back up.

posted by commander cody at 10:23 AM on April 26, 2006

no, joey harrington sucks bad... hiring harrington is like dropping peyton manning... not very smart...

posted by Joe Kowski at 10:56 AM on April 26, 2006

Now the Packers may be talking about swapping Javon Walker to Denver for Ashley Lelie? God, can it get any worse for the Packers offense? All the pieces are now in place for the Pack to finish third or fouth in their division.

posted by dyams at 11:26 AM on April 26, 2006

I'm sure Vinny Testaverde would be happy to play for any of these teams. I don't think that would hurt anyone's salary cap either.

posted by emynes at 11:28 AM on April 26, 2006

Now the Packers may be talking about swapping Javon Walker to Denver for Ashley Lelie? Lelie and some draft picks, I hope. That certainly doesn't seem like a fair trade otherwise, but Walker has vowed to never play for GB again.

posted by bperk at 11:40 AM on April 26, 2006

I can see Favre winning two games this year, both against Chicago. But I don't think his coming back makes them guaranteed wins. He loves playing against the Bears, and with great reason if you look at his record. By the way, Joecab, how could one game in the playoffs show what kind of team they are, when during the regular season they beat the team they lost to in the playoffs 13-3. Maybe Carolina figured out the defense before anyone else in the league could. I'm not saying the Bears are going to win it all this year, but they sure as hell have a great chance.

posted by sublime4390116 at 11:42 AM on April 26, 2006

First pick of the 2007 NFL draft pick: Green Bay Packers draft Adrian Peterson.

posted by sgtcookzane at 11:43 AM on April 26, 2006

Somewhere John Madden has breathed a sigh of relief.

posted by THX-1138 at 12:30 PM on April 26, 2006

As a Packers fan I was ready to move on. Let the team rebuild. Disappointed, now, that the team can't do any deep planning. OTOH, sure, Favre's wild. But he's still very good, and his receiving corps last year absolutely sucked. All in all, I wonder if he came back out of respect to the team (for having strung them along thus far) or if he really believes they're competitive...because they won't be competitive unless they improve other parts of that O.

posted by diastematic at 01:10 PM on April 26, 2006

As much fun as it is to pile on and trash Farve, I agree he is getting a bad rap for last year.
They had a guy off the street running the ball for them, a lousy O-Line and their only legit receiver was injured.
He still had to try and move the ball up the field somehow, interceptions be damned.

posted by hb74147 at 01:48 PM on April 26, 2006

Great decision for Bret. For 15 years I have watched him play Pro football. And, he has been very good. Perhaps, this year he could pass Marino as the all time touchdown pass leader. I'm very happy to hear he has decided to play another season. He is a tremendous competitor and team leader. This is great for the NFL.

posted by sports1 at 03:17 PM on April 26, 2006

As much fun as it is to pile on and trash Farve, I agree he is getting a bad rap for last year. I agree. So what if Favre made Drew Bledsoe and Aaron Brooks look accurate? So what if he had 15 more ints last year than either one of those guys? So what if he had a passer rating about 70, lower than damn near every legit starter? None of this matters, people. Favre can't be blamed! He's a HOF QB!

posted by bperk at 03:34 PM on April 26, 2006

I've started a half dozen comments in this thread and erased every one because I can't get my head around the crux of the matter here. Yes Favre is a Hall of Famer. Yes his o-line sucked last year. No they haven't improved in this off season. And for the life of me I don't understand what he's thinking right now. But the one thing I do know is this: if 05 is any indication, then clearly his new favorite pass play is the hail mary. And if that's the case then perhaps the Pack should hire Doug Flutie as their new quarterback coach.

posted by MW12 at 03:40 PM on April 26, 2006

Hes going to keep playing till 2065 at this rate, hes been saying hes going to play this last season for the past 20 years

posted by houston7166 at 04:08 PM on April 26, 2006

Let it be known that BPerk does not like Brett Favre. For what it's worth, that guy named Reggie Jackson happened to strike out a lot too. And therefore he sucked. Right?

posted by diastematic at 04:23 PM on April 26, 2006

Sports 1 and hb. Two guys that make some sense. All the trash talking and "Walt Disney" comments seem to boil down to is that Brett is back and they can't handle their own fear and their hidden jealousy of what the most exciting player and the most down to earth player in the NFL will do in '06. Again I say, imagine the number of teams that would be bidding for his services if he was made available. Also, he asks no more of his team mates than he asks of himself. How many superstars can make that claim?

posted by Tundra fan at 04:48 PM on April 26, 2006

Ahh we can finally sleep... until next year... oh yea, since we were waiting on Farve (cause 10 mil is a drop in the salary cap bucket... right) we couldn't move on a number of free agents. The Packers are $35 million under the cap as of March 10. This doesn't have much to do with cap space. The Packers have just been failing to land any quality free agents, or maybe they think everyone else is paying too high(I'm looking at you Redskins) for mediocre talent. I didn't know they allowed walkers or canes on the field for the QB? This is going to be like watching an old fighter try for one too many comebacks. Favre is 36. Elway was 37 and 38 when he won his superbowls. Yes, I realize the disparity in surrounding talent but I'm just saying that Favre is not that old compared to ages others have played to. Is it me or has there been alot of Favre hate generated in the past year?

posted by tron7 at 04:56 PM on April 26, 2006

I don't think he will catch Dan Marino if he comes back but he sure has a good shot at most interceptions. Some guys just never know when to quit!

posted by The Woj at 05:31 PM on April 26, 2006

you hit it on the head tron7. this decision has had little to no bearing on why they haven't made significant improvements at DB, OLB, WR, G, C, or RB. cap room is not the issue here, either. unless they strike gold in the draft with either a.j. hawk, ngata, or move up for mario williams or d'brickshaw, their defense is going to revert to it's porous form and their o-line is going to get manhandled inside again. i am a packer die-hard and a favre lover, but i believe he's only coming back now because he strung them along for so long (as a previous poster suggested). they're not going to contend for a title, they'd be lucky to finish anywhere higher than 3rd in the division. he's making the same silly decisions with the ball he's made his entire career, but they're being magnified because the team is so bad and there's no one else to help pick up the slack. the man isn't a deity anymore (hasn't been since the late 90's) and can't carry the team alone. i still believe the worst thing they could have done is let jim bates go. he took the same losers on D and made them decent.

posted by ninjavshippo at 06:04 PM on April 26, 2006

There's a lot of Brett Farve Haters commenting on this thread. Stop hatin on the guy. All you bears fans wished you had Brett as your QB. And now GB signed Charles Woodson, this is great for the PACKERS. The bears made it to the playoffs becuase they had an easy schedule. Then they entered the playoffs and we know what happened.

posted by STUNNER at 06:15 PM on April 26, 2006

Lets see, the top three running backs go down for the season. One of the best recivers in the NFL goes down in week one and the front office breaks up o line that was top in the NFL for five years running because at 35 mil under the cap they dont want to pay what it takes to keep the two best players on that line. And somehow all this is Brett Favre's fault? Yes he did throw alot of int's last year, but he never gave up trying and he played with the same fire he allways has, but even he cant catch his own passes. Look at how many of the int's were because the receiver tipped the ball up in the air or it bounced off his hands. I think the fact that he's not demanding more money or a trade to one of any number of teams that would let him name his own terms, puts him in a class that very few players are in today.

posted by CB900 at 06:35 PM on April 26, 2006

For what it's worth, that guy named Reggie Jackson happened to strike out a lot too. And therefore he sucked. Right? You know who else struck out a lot? Tojo. Brett Favre being a terrible QB ratings-wise across every rating you can think of != striking out. It'd be more like a hitter who hit .198 with no power and no walks.

posted by yerfatma at 08:27 PM on April 26, 2006

If I look at this from a different perspective, I see a guy who isn't sure if he wants to play. So, people ask him, he says, "I don't know." I think that's reasonable. It's hardly his fault that every time he shows his face in public, someone's asking him about it. It's not like he's made a lot of outrageous demands as a condition of continuing to play. I just don't see where the hate comes from. If there's any hate deserved here, it should be reserved for the sports media who report on this like Brett is Jesus.

posted by fabulon7 at 10:43 PM on April 26, 2006

This thread is like an abortion discussion-there is no middle ground. Either you love Brett, or you hate him. Both sides have made some fair points. Favre is a terrible qb right now, but not all (or even most) of the Pack's problems are his fault. He's just another terrible player on a terrible team. Does playing Favre (and you can't sit Favre as a head coach, unless you want to get shot) hurt the team? Yes and no. It wouldn't hurt them right now-they'd still be terrible, but I think it would hurt them by depriving Aaron Rodgers of some experience. Brett Favre to me has become a little like Jeff George-huge arm, bad decisions. Except Favre is much better for a team. That said, his bad decision making (which, to be fair, has always been there, it's just now it doesn't work nearly as well as it used to) has caught up with him, and they aren't winning games with him anymore. Good for Pack Nation about getting Favre back, but probably not good for the Packers.

posted by Bonkers at 11:17 PM on April 26, 2006

I agree. So what if Favre made Drew Bledsoe and Aaron Brooks look accurate? So what if he had 15 more ints last year than either one of those guys? So what if he had a passer rating about 70, lower than damn near every legit starter? None of this matters, people. Favre can't be blamed! Brett can pass the ball, but he can't catch it. When your tight ends and wide recievers can't seem to understand the concept of "catch the ball", it's hard to have complete passes. Same goes for the fact that he had what, seven different receivers in seven different games? I'm not saying that the bad QB rating WASN'T Brett's fault, but it's also not ALL his fault, either. I'm honestly suprised he DIDN'T retire with the media collectively stalking him asking him "You made a decision yet? How bout now? Now? Now?" Why do you think he had to have that press conference two weeks or so ago saying he hadn't made a decision? Because he said he THOUGHT about retiring and the national media assumed he WAS going to retire, and he had to clarify that he hadn't made a decision yet. Also, if Vince Young is available and we draft him, Ted Thompson should be taken to Brown Country Courthouse by the Packer faithful and shot. We don't need another quarterback! Our problem isn't a quarterback, it's the fact that Mike Sherman was too cheap to sign the good players on our offensive line, or our defensive line...I'd rather see Vernon Davis or Tamba Hali. I saw Hali play against the Badgers, and he HUMILIATED them...I think he'd be a good fit on our D-Line and compliment KGB. And who WOULDN'T want a TE that can outrun most WRs?

posted by Lissa at 02:52 AM on April 27, 2006

"favre is a terrible qb" you couldnt hold bretts jock that is the most retarded thing i have ever read vick is terrible alex smith is terrible vinny testaverde is terrible you have gone to far and i am a very unbiased i was born in chicago and raised in seattle but i am a sports fan a fan of greatness just because the media says something doesnt make it fact while all you guys are acting like you have some kind of crystal ball write back when its green bay vs indy in the superbowl and the "media" hypes up the yesterday vs today angle and you all either keep denying the man credit or eat it up and say "i knew it all along"

posted by BigSpizznizzle at 04:03 AM on April 27, 2006

you couldnt hold bretts jock that is the most retarded thing i have ever read There's the kind of logic-riddled rebuttal we're looking for.

posted by yerfatma at 06:06 AM on April 27, 2006

i think brett is ok but dont know why people are always hating its like they dont have anything better to do and i dont know if his jock is that heavy but you couldnt carry it but when brett and the pack are in the super bowl with the colts then i will tell you i said it so dont say i didnt because brett can throw but not catch and run and the media is always asking him if he will play and what would you do if it was you but i dont know if he stinks and no i will never use a period again as long as i live everything i write will be one long run on sentence

posted by dyams at 07:08 AM on April 27, 2006

I pointed out the reality of Brett Favre's season and it must be because I don't like the man. He has neither the same ability nor the same surrounding cast as he had on those SB teams. No one was protesting when he was getting tons of credit for the wins. So, some of us give him blame for the losses and we are haters. I don't care what your surrounding cast is, a QB is responsible when he throws 29 interceptions. Favre is reckless with the ball, makes far too many mistakes, and forces far too many throws. Turnovers are the quickest way to kill a drive, momentum, a team, or an entire season. He should not get a free pass for his performance last season based on how he used to play.

posted by bperk at 09:29 AM on April 27, 2006

He should not get a free pass for his performance last season based on how he used to play. His QB rating the two years prior to last season were 90.4 and 92.4. His career QB rating is 86.0. I think we can get over a bad season... make that a rotten season. Brett Favre being a terrible QB ratings-wise across every rating you can think of != striking out. It'd be more like a hitter who hit .198 with no power and no walks. I disagree, he was third in the league in passing yardage, completed the most passes in the league(allbeit with the most attempts), and completed 61% of his passes. His biggest issue was the boneheaded inexplicable decisions that would come out 2-3 times a game. If you cut that int number in half, his rating would be somewhere in the 80's.

posted by tron7 at 10:37 AM on April 27, 2006

Sometimes the most simple things are the most logical, thanks. I had little trouble getting your point. Oh yeah it is much more logic- riddled for some 400 pound idiot, to intalectually say brett is no good. Come on! To say he sucks is lacking full mental capacity causing one to make decisions and say things that make sence at all.... Or retarded.

posted by BigSpizznizzle at 11:57 AM on April 27, 2006

Can you count to 10 million big ones?

posted by wwarrior at 12:06 PM on April 27, 2006

Amen!

posted by BigSpizznizzle at 12:11 PM on April 27, 2006

Favre is still a capable QB and frankly in the division the Packers could always surprise you. The Bears are terribly overated, the Lions completely suck, and Minnesota is really the only team that can step up now that Culpepper is out. If you ask me the division is wide open for upset and the experience and leadership of Favre could set them apart from the pack. Don't look too much at the dismal performance of last season, it really had little to do with Brett Favre. He isn't coming back for the money, he coming back because he can still play, he one of the greatest competitors in sports, and frankly the league needs guys like him in leadership roles. I'm not saying the Packers will get to the Superbowl, but look for them to be in the playoff race late in the season. A 9 and 7 record should win that division easily.

posted by Atheist at 01:39 PM on April 27, 2006

So let me understand what you're saying, bperk. You're saying, then, that even though he never worked with the same receiving core for what, more than a month, Favre still should be able to know the receivers timings EXACTLY? And he should be able to throw accurately when his offensive line's so full of holes that he gets hit on nearly every play? Gee, I didn't know that *insert name of deity you worship here* played quarterback. If the players didn't need to get adjusted to their new teammates, we wouldn't have minicamps and training camps, now would we? Now, if Favre's performance is abysmal this year, then maybe yes, he made a bad decision by coming back. But let's see what happens when the season's over with, okay?

posted by Lissa at 03:54 AM on April 28, 2006

That's exactly what I am saying, lissa. Favre could throw the ball away, could he not? Taking a sack is better than throwing an interception. Favre knows that and you should, too. Many of those interceptions were mind-boggling. His receivers couldn't get open and he throws it anyway? Umm, no, not acceptable for a veteran QB. Do you think GB is the only team that had holes and injuries? Look up the crap that the Jets went through last year. Despite all their issues and all their different QBs, they still had less interceptions. Some QBs (like David Carr) annually have major problems like this, and even Carr didn't have 29 ints (and he gets hit a lot). A QB has to adjust to the team he has. If you don't have a strong receiving corp, then you have to be more careful with your throws. And, for all the complaints about GB's offensive line, Favre was sacked only 24 times all season. Only a handful of (playoff) teams allowed less sacks on their QBs. So, for all of his greatness, Favre led his team to last place in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL. So, excuse me, if I don't wish to join the blame-everyone-but-Brett party.

posted by bperk at 08:46 AM on April 28, 2006

I'm a Favre and Packer fan, I'll just say that right now. Anyway, Brett did make bad decisions in games, but it used to be that those same decisions would work because he had recievers who could actually CATCH the ball. The best one the Packers had last year just walked out on them. Plus, whenever I watched a Packer game, the O-line sucked balls. 29 interceptions does speak for itself, but not all of the blame goes on Brett. By the way, I agree with Atheist on the division. This year, it will be so wide open that if the Packers have a winning year again, they might make it to division champ. So there.

posted by shadyboy15 at 06:59 PM on May 02, 2006

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