Brett Favre retires again

[dondoboy]

[Beltmann]

I'm a huge Packers fan and a huge Favre fan--I lived in Green Bay during the Super Bowl season, and it was bliss--and didn't want Favre to retire after last season. Even so, I believe the team did the right thing sticking with Rodgers. The organization badly mishandled the decision, but at the end of the day, it was, indeed, the right decision.

 

Would the Packers have won more games with Favre at the helm rather than Rodgers? Based on comparison stats alone, there's no reason to believe that Favre would have outperformed Rodgers. Obviously Favre has intangibles that exist outside of the stat line, but I'm still unconvinced that Favre's mere presence would have made a dramatic difference in the win column. The team's real problems had little to do with the QB position, and they would have been glaring, probably insurmountable, flaws even with #4 on the field. The hard truth is that the Packers, as a team, never really had a legitimate shot at the playoffs this year.

 

What did the Packers give up by starting Rodgers? As far as I can tell, nothing but nostalgia. Let's say Favre's experience and leadership skills would have netted an extra win or two. What would the Packers have gained through those extra two wins? Not the playoffs. Not a quarterback for next year. Just a couple of Sundays with less frustration, nothing else. By starting Rodgers, at least the team gained a young, skilled, experienced NFL quarterback for next year. It was the smart move.

 

That's my head. My heart, though, is with dondoboy: I'd have loved to have had one more season with Favre in the green-and-gold.