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Favre packs it up
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| Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre waves to spectators as he leaves the field following the Packers' 9-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Green Bay, Wis., in this December 2006 file photo. Favre announced Tuesday that he would retire after 17 seasons in the NFL. ASSOCIATED PRESS |
Green Bay QB calls it quits after 17 seasons in NFL.
By CHRIS JENKINS
Associated Press
GREEN BAY, Wis. — After flirting with retirement for years, Brett Favre means it this time. The Green Bay Packers quarterback quit after a 17-season career in which he dazzled fans with his grit, heart and rocket of an arm.
“I know I can still play, but it’s like I told my wife, I’m just tired mentally. I’m just tired,” Favre told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen in a voice mail message.
Tuesday’s surprise move comes after the 38-year-old three-time MVP set several league records, including most career touchdown
passes, in one of his most
successful seasons.
Coach Mike McCarthy said Favre informed him of the decision by telephone Monday night.
“He said it was time for him to hang up the cleats,” McCarthy said at a news
conference Tuesday afternoon. “He’s mentally tired, with all the little things
that go into everyday
preparation.”
Favre’s agent, Bus Cook, also learned of his decision Monday night.
“Nobody pushed Brett Favre out the door, but then nobody encouraged him not to go out that door, either,” Cook told The Associated Press by phone from his Hattiesburg, Miss., office.
Packers general manager Ted Thompson thanked Favre for 16 years of
wonderful memories with the team.
“His accomplishments are legendary,” Thompson said. “And it’s the passion with which he played that made everyone a Brett Favre fan.”
The team hasn’t said when Favre might address the media.
Favre led the Packers to the NFC championship game in January, but his
interception in overtime set up the New York Giants’
winning field goal.
“If I felt like coming back — and Deanna (Favre’s wife) and I talked about this —
the only way for me to be successful would be to win a Super Bowl,” Favre told ESPN. “To go to the Super Bowl and lose, would almost be worse than anything else. Anything less than a Super Bowl win would be
unsuccessful.”
Last season, Favre broke Dan Marino’s career records for most touchdown passes and most yards passing and John Elway’s record for most career victories by a starting quarterback.
He retires with 5,377 career completions in 8,758 attempts for 61,655 yards,
442 touchdowns and
288 interceptions.
“He was the prototypical gun-slinger type,” said Marv Levy, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach. “He’s the type of guy where, ‘Oh, what’s he throwing into that crowd for?’ But he had intuition,
toughness, resilience.”
Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman wondered if Favre’s decision was final.
“As the season gets closer, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he changes his mind,” said Aikman, a Fox analyst who played 12 years with the Dallas Cowboys.
The news stunned many.
“I was surprised when I heard it this morning,”
former Packers general manager Ron Wolf said. “He played with such a great
passion. He must have
figured he no longer had that passion, and it was time to get out.”
“I know I can still play, but it’s like I told my wife, I’m just tired mentally. I’m just tired,” Favre told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen in a voice mail message.
Tuesday’s surprise move comes after the 38-year-old three-time MVP set several league records, including most career touchdown
passes, in one of his most
successful seasons.
Coach Mike McCarthy said Favre informed him of the decision by telephone Monday night.
“He said it was time for him to hang up the cleats,” McCarthy said at a news
conference Tuesday afternoon. “He’s mentally tired, with all the little things
that go into everyday
preparation.”
Favre’s agent, Bus Cook, also learned of his decision Monday night.
“Nobody pushed Brett Favre out the door, but then nobody encouraged him not to go out that door, either,” Cook told The Associated Press by phone from his Hattiesburg, Miss., office.
Packers general manager Ted Thompson thanked Favre for 16 years of
wonderful memories with the team.
“His accomplishments are legendary,” Thompson said. “And it’s the passion with which he played that made everyone a Brett Favre fan.”
The team hasn’t said when Favre might address the media.
Favre led the Packers to the NFC championship game in January, but his
interception in overtime set up the New York Giants’
winning field goal.
“If I felt like coming back — and Deanna (Favre’s wife) and I talked about this —
the only way for me to be successful would be to win a Super Bowl,” Favre told ESPN. “To go to the Super Bowl and lose, would almost be worse than anything else. Anything less than a Super Bowl win would be
unsuccessful.”
Last season, Favre broke Dan Marino’s career records for most touchdown passes and most yards passing and John Elway’s record for most career victories by a starting quarterback.
He retires with 5,377 career completions in 8,758 attempts for 61,655 yards,
442 touchdowns and
288 interceptions.
“He was the prototypical gun-slinger type,” said Marv Levy, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach. “He’s the type of guy where, ‘Oh, what’s he throwing into that crowd for?’ But he had intuition,
toughness, resilience.”
Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman wondered if Favre’s decision was final.
“As the season gets closer, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he changes his mind,” said Aikman, a Fox analyst who played 12 years with the Dallas Cowboys.
The news stunned many.
“I was surprised when I heard it this morning,”
former Packers general manager Ron Wolf said. “He played with such a great
passion. He must have
figured he no longer had that passion, and it was time to get out.”
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