Favre Needs to Learn to Enjoy Retirement

It’s that time of year again.

The time of year when Brett Favre declares he’s not done playing and wants to come back after announcing his retirement and proclaiming that he’s officially finished for yet another time.

So from now until the Favre soap opera ends, we will hear countless reports of Favre’s decision making process and read numerous articles about who wants him and who thinks he should go away—and there will be no shortage of drama, tears, and hurtful words, just like on day time TV.

Favre’s indecisiveness during his so-called “retirements” have become almost as famous as his legendary arm, but maybe his inability to make up his mind is what has led to all those interceptions.

Favre’s passion for the game and competitiveness are unrivaled. Can he still play for some team out there? Probably. But, should he continually jerk around fans and teams every off-season because his arm hurt a little after playing a grueling 16-game schedule that didn’t end with what he wanted (a Super Bowl ring), but now feels miraculously better, as if time has magical powers to make a sore arm feel better after you don’t use it for a while?

New York’s release of Favre opens the door for a rendezvous in Minnesota. The Vikings could definitely use a quarterback, and that is where Favre wanted to end up last year. But one year of Favre didn’t save the Jets. It brought the team to a mediocre 9-7 season, going 1-4 in the team’s final five games as Favre tossed nine interceptions and only two touchdown passes.

It led to running back Thomas Jones’ comments that Favre should have been benched in those last few games. So what exactly does Minnesota think they would get that they can’t get from Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels?

Favre is, without a doubt, one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game and he does deserve a chance to come back and play if he so chooses, but either don’t retire prematurely or quietly make up your mind and let us know when you have a solid decision.

Favre, though, has never shied away from the spotlight. He loves talking to the media. And maybe that’s the problem. It seems that every summer there have been two constants; Favre’s thinking comeback and someone’s taking steroids.

Yes, there have been plenty of stars who felt their careers weren’t over and went somewhere unfamiliar to continue playing, like Joe Montana, Emmitt Smith, and Jerry Rice, but there’s a time when it’s just better to say goodbye. Favre has nothing left to prove and the longer he drags his playing career out, the less he will be remembered for what he did on the field with the Packers, and more for the sagas that followed each season at the end of his career.

It’s time to move on.