# Brett Favre go away! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 7, 2008, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542 "2008-07-07T12:10:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/61 "2008-08-04T17:58:09Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Ok, but why would his free agency next year become a problem if he _doesn’t_ start this year? [/QUOTE] The reason **RNTAB** gave: he’s likely to be too pissed at management to even consider coming back to Green Bay. And given that Favre could pull the same retirement hokey pokey next year, Green Bay might not be able to even tell Rodgers that he’d have a shot to start next year. So he would probably sign with someone else who would give him a better chance at starting and be able to give him a straight answer. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/62 "2008-08-04T17:59:56Z")
So they can franchise his ass. Take the choice away from him. Who knows if he’s any good anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/63 "2008-08-04T18:32:24Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] So they can franchise his ass. Take the choice away from him. Who knows if he’s any good anyway? [/QUOTE] The cost of franchise-tagging a QB was approximately 10.5 million for this season, and IIRC, is expected to top 12 million next season. I don’t see a player with no starts getting 12 million. Do you? ETA: Nobody knows if he’s any good. On the other hand, nobody knows if Favre will be any good this year. In any case, Rodgers is almost certainly better than any free agent the Packers might sign next year. Drew Breeses come along once every ten years, and then only at significant risk - usually an injury bug or somesuch. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/64 "2008-08-04T19:13:08Z")
[QUOTE=storyteller0910] I’ve seen it written on these boards and elsewhere that a GM should be thinking of “what makes his team most likely to win the Super Bowl this year?” and it’s that simple. [/QUOTE] Agreed. People like to throw around the phrase “they’re in a rebuilding mode” but that’s just a B.S. statement saying that they’re pretty much screwed this year. With injuries happening at a moments notice, free agency, disgruntled players contracts, etc. etc. it’s almost impossible to build a team for future success. You have to play for “now” since the future is way too unpredicatable. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/65 "2008-08-04T19:15:34Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] Agreed. People like to throw around the phrase “they’re in a rebuilding mode” but that’s just a B.S. statement saying that they’re pretty much screwed this year. [/QUOTE] That’s not a B.S. statement at all. Take the Falcons - they could have shelled out to sign every half-decent free agent on the market this offseason and they still wouldn’t field a top-10 team. Same goes for Miami, Oakland _et al_. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/66 "2008-08-04T21:41:09Z")
Why would Rogers value be very high on the free agent market if Favre starts this year? Rogers has not started a single NFL game, how many teams are going to spend big money on him? I think, without any verification from anything, that the Packers have basically made a deal with Brett that he can start one more year for the Pack, they call it an open competition, to save some face and Brett is free to do what he wants next year, not with the Packers. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/67 "2008-08-05T00:20:04Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] I think, without any verification from anything, that the Packers have basically made a deal with Brett that he can start one more year for the Pack, they call it an open competition, to save some face and Brett is free to do what he wants next year, not with the Packers. [/QUOTE] They have him under contract for next season, too. He’s not “free to do what he wants” unless they cut him or trade him. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/68 "2008-08-05T00:26:24Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] They have him under contract for next season, too. He’s not “free to do what he wants” unless they cut him or trade him. [/QUOTE] I know, but I just meant they would trade or release him. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/69 "2008-08-05T03:14:20Z")
I fully agree that Brett Favre has behaved like a selfish jerk, that his dithering screwed up the Packers 2008 draft, and that his image deserves to take a hit. Thing is, in SPITE of all that, the starting quarterback job should still be his to lose. If he were coming off a bad year (and he had several of those), I’d be HAPPY to cut his ass and make Aaron Rodgers the starter. But Favre is coming on a Pro Bowl season in which the PAck went to the NFC championship game. Look at it this way- if Favre had NOT retired, if he was just coming back to camp for another season, is there ANY chance he’d be benched for Aaron Rodgers? No. Is there even a chance they’d have held a true competition for the starting job? Again, no. The job would be Favre’s, plain and simple, because you don’t bench an All Pro quarterback for an unknown commodity. The Packers front office has every right to be pissed off at Favre’s prima donna act, and to think he’s a selfish asshole. The fact remains, he’s their best chance to win right now, and he SHOULD be the starter. That absolutely sucks for Aaron Rodgers, and it’s totally unfair to him. If he wants to go elsewhere next season, I don’t blame him a bit. But windows of opportunity are VERY short in the NFL. In many sports, it makes sense to talk about “not mortgaging the future” or “thinking of the long term.” But in the NFL, if you have a chance to win now, you win now, and worry about the future later. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/70 "2008-08-05T13:39:36Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] Why would Rogers value be very high on the free agent market if Favre starts this year? Rogers has not started a single NFL game, how many teams are going to spend big money on him? [/QUOTE] It doesn’t matter how high his value is; the problem is that he’d be crazy to re-sign with the Packers for any amount of money, knowing that at any time Favre could wake up in Mississippi and decide that farming is boring and he wants to toss a football around instead. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/71 "2008-08-05T13:43:40Z")
[QUOTE=astorian] Look at it this way- if Favre had NOT retired, if he was just coming back to camp for another season, is there ANY chance he’d be benched for Aaron Rodgers? [/QUOTE] That’s actually why I didn’t think he’d retire in the first place. Back in January I thought he was a shoe-in to come back since he’d had such a good reason. If he’d had yet another bad year that would’ve been different. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/72 "2008-08-05T14:41:33Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] It doesn’t matter how high his value is; the problem is that he’d be crazy to re-sign with the Packers for any amount of money, knowing that at any time Favre could wake up in Mississippi and decide that farming is boring and he wants to toss a football around instead. [/QUOTE] I gotta agree with this. If I were Rodgers, I wouldn’t let the door hit me in the ass on my way out next season. It’s exactly what I was fuming to my daughter about–poor guy sits around for weeks in limbo because Favre can’t decide whether to shit or go blind. Now, after all the assurances that he was the QB no matter what, you can be sure he’ll be right back on the sidelines like a good little back-up. I’d be royally PISSED! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/73 "2008-08-05T14:50:41Z")
[QUOTE=Chanteuse] Now, after all the assurances that he was the QB no matter what, you can be sure he’ll be right back on the sidelines like a good little back-up. I’d be royally PISSED! [/QUOTE] Well, for now, the Packers are continuing to state that Rodgers is the starter, and good for them. They planned their strategy based on Favre’s decision, and they are standing by it so far. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/74 "2008-08-05T15:01:41Z")
They’re morons if they start Rodgers ahead of Favre. The fans will burn that stadium down. ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/75 "2008-08-05T16:29:08Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] They’re morons if they start Rodgers ahead of Favre. The fans will burn that stadium down. [/QUOTE] No, they won’t. They’re _Packer_ fans, for crying out loud, from _Wisconsin_. They’ll frown in frustration, and that’s about it. And they won’t even do that if Aaron Rodgers throws three touchdowns versus no interceptions on opening Monday night against Minnesota. Which is, while not the single most likely outcome, still possible. Rodgers might be good. He might even be _really_ good. Ted Thompson is willing to stake his career on it, and Thompson knows more about Rodgers than any of us, so who knows, really? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/76 "2008-08-05T17:19:35Z")
I know that Rodgers can’t carry Favre’s jock and the fans know it too. No way they’re going to stand for losing games they can win. When Rodgers throws his 2nd or 3rd pick in that opener against the Vikings, the fans are going to start chanting for Favre. It’s probably moot. I’m hearing on the radio now that Favre is basically refusing to accept being a backup, that he’s at a “stalemate” with the team, and that he’s saying “it’s best if we part company.” They’re going to have to trade him, and they’re going to have to trade him someplace he wants to go. He’s got them over a barrel. ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/77 "2008-08-05T18:33:59Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I know that Rodgers can’t carry Favre’s jock and the fans know it too. No way they’re going to stand for losing games they can win. When Rodgers throws his 2nd or 3rd pick in that opener against the Vikings, the fans are going to start chanting for Favre. [/quote] Seriously, how do you _know_ this? I’m not trying to be combative or difficult, and it may ultimately prove to be the case, but I’m not sure I see how you can _know_ this. Favre is an old man who had a great year last year, and two abysmal ones in the yaers before that. Rodgers is a first round draft pick and clearly has earned at least some respect from experienced personnel guys. I mean, in early August 2001, did you “know” that Tom Brady couldn’t carry Drew Bledsoe’s jock? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/78 "2008-08-05T18:40:21Z")
[QUOTE=storyteller0910] I mean, in early August 2001, did you “know” that Tom Brady couldn’t carry Drew Bledsoe’s jock? [/QUOTE] …or that Derek Anderson couldn’t carry anyone’s jock, or that Drew Brees couldn’t carry everyone’s jock, or that Tony Romo couldn’t carry Drew Bledsoe’s jock… ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/79 "2008-08-05T18:40:23Z")
[QUOTE=storyteller0910] Seriously, how do you _know_ this? I’m not trying to be combative or difficult, and it may ultimately prove to be the case, but I’m not sure I see how you can _know_ this. Favre is an old man who had a great year last year, and two abysmal ones in the yaers before that. Rodgers is a first round draft pick and clearly has earned at least some respect from experienced personnel guys. [/QUOTE] I agree with your point, but I think abysmal is being overly harsh. Even in his worse years, Farve was at least an average QB, and usually above average. Granted this might say more about the current state of NFL QBs then anything else. ---
**Author:** ![inkysplotchy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2bfe46/32.png) [@inkysplotchy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkysplotchy)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542/80 "2008-08-05T18:57:28Z")
[QUOTE=storyteller0910] No, they won’t. They’re _Packer_ fans, for crying out loud, from _Wisconsin_. They’ll frown in frustration, and that’s about it. [/QUOTE] That is the most awesome thing I’ve read about this in a long time. Actually, at this point, now that he’s unretired officially, the Packers can ship him off to anyone they can get to take him for conditional draft choices (if he plays or not, etc.) Add in a little poison pill to the deal to make sure that he doesn’t end up in the NFC North, and presto! No more Favre in GB. Thing is, I don’t think any fan is going to change his or her mind about it at this point. If you hate Ted Thompson and the organization, him bringing back Brett on a golden throne won’t make you like him any more than you do now. Also, the ‘win now’ idea… I don’t think it holds much water. The past few seasons, we’ve had to sit through people raving about the Niners and the Redskins being awesome due to a bunch of big free agent pickups. Last I checked, they’re both squarely in the mediocre camp. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-go-away/455542.md?page=5)