Brett Favre, 38, has decided to retire after 17 seasons. Everyone thought for sure that he'd be back again this season. The Green Bay Packers legend and future Hall of Famer made it a winter tradition the past few seasons to hint at his football future with fans. After flirting with retirement for several years, the 3-time NFL MVP has made it official.
The Packers officially announced Favre's retirement Tuesday morning (Feb. 4) when General Manger Ted Thompson said in a statement:
"Brett Favre has informed us of his intention to retire from the Green Bay Packers and the NFL. He has had one of the greatest careers in the history of the National Football League, and he is able to walk away from the game on his own termsnot many players are able to do that. The Packers owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude. He has given Packers fans 16 years of wonderful memories, a Super Bowl championship among them, that will live on forever. Brett's many accomplishments on the field are legendary. He leaves the game holding virtually every career passing record, plus his consecutive starts streak, which may never be duplicated. The uniqueness of Brett Favre his personality, charisma and love of the game undoubtedly will leave him as on of the enduring figures in NFL history." (source)
Favre told ESPN's Chris Mortensen in a voice mail message:
"I know I can still play, but it's like I told my wife, I'm just tired mentally. I'm just tired. If I felt like coming back -- and Deanna [his wife] and I talked about this -- the only way for me to be successful would be to win a Super Bowl. 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." (source)
Brett Favre was a beast on the gridiron who played his heart out. Maybe he'll change his mind as the new season gets closer. Favre is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and made sports entertainment worth watching.
