Brando19
02-22-2008, 10:20 PM
http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080222/PKR01/80222195/1989
INDIANAPOLIS — Brett Favre has taken longer to announce whether he’s returning for another season than he did last year, but the men who run the Green Bay Packers’ football operations are showing no signals of concern he won’t be back, and they’re anticipating an answer soon.
One reason General Manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy aren’t overly worried probably is their increased faith in Favre’s eventual successor, Aaron Rodgers, after his play in training camp and against Dallas last season. But they also appear to be handling the matter, and their offseason planning, as if Favre probably is coming back.
The Packers say they don’t need to give Favre a deadline to make his decision because he’s sensitive to the team’s need to have a timely decision, with free agency beginning next Friday. McCarthy has talked to Favre every week since the season ended, and the coach said today the two had “a very good conversation last week” and “hopefully, we’re close” to getting Favre’s decision. He plans to speak with Favre again this weekend.
“(Favre) was more concerned about a deadline, because he felt like he was holding the organization up,” McCarthy said at the NFL scouting combine. “My whole thing with Brett is, make a decision you can commit 100 percent to. That’s what you have to do. To him, the season’s still fresh, he’s worn out from the season. He’s talked about it. He’ll do the right thing.”
At the end of the playoffs this year, Favre said he’d decide more quickly than last year, but he actually has taken longer. After the 2006 season, Favre announced his return Feb. 2, 32 days after the Packers’ final game. Today is the 33rd day since the 2007 season ended with the Packers’ loss to the New York Giants in the NFC championship game.
This is the sixth offseason in which Favre has at least kicked around the idea of retirement. For outside observers, it seems difficult to understand why he’d have trouble deciding whether to return in 2008 — even though he’s 38 years old — because he’s coming off one of his best seasons in the NFL and plays for a young team that was one game away from the Super Bowl last season. However, McCarthy said Favre’s ability to play at a high level isn’t the issue.
McCarthy said that, during the bye week before the Packers’ first playoff game, he and Thompson took an analytical, unemotional look at Favre’s performance and determined they definitely wanted him back in 2008. Favre, who turns 39 in October, would make $12 million in salary if he plays. At one point, McCarthy even said in passing Favre could play two or three more years.
“He knows he still can play, had a great time this year,” McCarthy said. “It’s just the fact he’s played a lot of football and he’s had to fully commit himself and his family year in and year out. When you get older, you have more responsibility, and he just wants to make sure he’ll be able to commit himself 100 percent, because if he doesn’t think he’s 100 percent in, he thinks maybe it’s time to walk away.”
Thompson has spoken to Favre more recently than McCarthy; the two talked early this week. A report last week said Favre was bothered he hadn’t heard from Thompson this offseason.
“I just called to check and make sure he’s doing fine, and make sure he and I are OK,” Thompson said. “And we are.”
McCarthy said his conversations with Favre this offseason have been similar to last year. The two go over the reasons to return and not to return, and McCarthy suggested he’s as much sounding board as adviser.
“You talk to him as the head coach,” McCarthy said, “but you also talk to him as the play-caller on offense, and you also talk to him as a friend and someone you’ve known for a long time and know where he’s at in his career. His career is very unique. Who else can he talk to about this? Guys that are 37, 38, 39 years old that can still play two or three years? That’s his thing, he says, ‘I’ve played a lot of football. I want to make sure I’m doing the right thing. I want to make sure I can commit 100 percent.’”
Nevertheless, other people around the NFL are surprised Favre might even be wavering. Thompson said he talked with a coach from an NFC North Division rival who said, “Brett’s thinking about not playing, are you kidding me?” Kevin Gilbride, the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champion Giants, said that, as an outsider looking in, he didn’t see any of the signs of a quarterback who’s had enough. He said he’d look for waning interest in preparing for games or an unwillingness to take hits anymore, and he saw no signs of that from Favre.
“Certainly, in preparing for Minnesota and Detroit and those people, I’d see Green Bay’s offense as I studied those other teams’ defenses, (and) he looks like he can play another five years,” Gilbride said. “He’s still got the cannon for an arm. He’s still got a great feel for what’s going on. He looks like he has a great understanding of what they’re trying to do. I think it’s just a matter of when he’s had enough. He’s still a very, very, very effective player.”
Until Favre actually says he’s coming back, however, there’s always the chance he’ll retire. If that happens, league sources say Thompson and McCarthy appear to be feeling better than ever about having Rodgers as his successor.
Thompson’s first draft pick (No. 24 overall) in the 2005 draft, Rodgers struggled in the exhibition season as a rookie but has improved steadily since then and went a long way toward winning over his bosses this past season in training camp and with his play against Dallas in a big game Nov. 29. He replaced Favre (elbow and shoulder injuries) early in the second quarter against the Cowboys and kept the Packers in the game by leading the offense to 17 points, completing 18 of 26 passes for 201 yards, attaining a passer rating of 104.8 points and scrambling five times for 30 yards.
The bigger concern with Rodgers is durability. He sustained a broken foot while playing in a blowout loss to New England in 2006 that ended his season, and this year, in the week after the Dallas game, he strained a hamstring in practice, which in effect sidelined him for the final four games of the regular season.
“I think he’s a really good player,” Thompson said, “and I don’t say that to defend myself. I’ve picked bad players before and have been fairly upfront about it. This guy’s going to be a good player, I’m convinced of it.
“His arm, his athletic ability, he can move, he has good size, very accurate. He’s a pretty good thrower. After I’d get back from a (college) scouting trip this year, I’d go out there (to practice) every Friday and watch and think, ‘Lord, I’m glad we’ve got him.’ But we’ll see. The proof’s in the pudding.”
INDIANAPOLIS — Brett Favre has taken longer to announce whether he’s returning for another season than he did last year, but the men who run the Green Bay Packers’ football operations are showing no signals of concern he won’t be back, and they’re anticipating an answer soon.
One reason General Manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy aren’t overly worried probably is their increased faith in Favre’s eventual successor, Aaron Rodgers, after his play in training camp and against Dallas last season. But they also appear to be handling the matter, and their offseason planning, as if Favre probably is coming back.
The Packers say they don’t need to give Favre a deadline to make his decision because he’s sensitive to the team’s need to have a timely decision, with free agency beginning next Friday. McCarthy has talked to Favre every week since the season ended, and the coach said today the two had “a very good conversation last week” and “hopefully, we’re close” to getting Favre’s decision. He plans to speak with Favre again this weekend.
“(Favre) was more concerned about a deadline, because he felt like he was holding the organization up,” McCarthy said at the NFL scouting combine. “My whole thing with Brett is, make a decision you can commit 100 percent to. That’s what you have to do. To him, the season’s still fresh, he’s worn out from the season. He’s talked about it. He’ll do the right thing.”
At the end of the playoffs this year, Favre said he’d decide more quickly than last year, but he actually has taken longer. After the 2006 season, Favre announced his return Feb. 2, 32 days after the Packers’ final game. Today is the 33rd day since the 2007 season ended with the Packers’ loss to the New York Giants in the NFC championship game.
This is the sixth offseason in which Favre has at least kicked around the idea of retirement. For outside observers, it seems difficult to understand why he’d have trouble deciding whether to return in 2008 — even though he’s 38 years old — because he’s coming off one of his best seasons in the NFL and plays for a young team that was one game away from the Super Bowl last season. However, McCarthy said Favre’s ability to play at a high level isn’t the issue.
McCarthy said that, during the bye week before the Packers’ first playoff game, he and Thompson took an analytical, unemotional look at Favre’s performance and determined they definitely wanted him back in 2008. Favre, who turns 39 in October, would make $12 million in salary if he plays. At one point, McCarthy even said in passing Favre could play two or three more years.
“He knows he still can play, had a great time this year,” McCarthy said. “It’s just the fact he’s played a lot of football and he’s had to fully commit himself and his family year in and year out. When you get older, you have more responsibility, and he just wants to make sure he’ll be able to commit himself 100 percent, because if he doesn’t think he’s 100 percent in, he thinks maybe it’s time to walk away.”
Thompson has spoken to Favre more recently than McCarthy; the two talked early this week. A report last week said Favre was bothered he hadn’t heard from Thompson this offseason.
“I just called to check and make sure he’s doing fine, and make sure he and I are OK,” Thompson said. “And we are.”
McCarthy said his conversations with Favre this offseason have been similar to last year. The two go over the reasons to return and not to return, and McCarthy suggested he’s as much sounding board as adviser.
“You talk to him as the head coach,” McCarthy said, “but you also talk to him as the play-caller on offense, and you also talk to him as a friend and someone you’ve known for a long time and know where he’s at in his career. His career is very unique. Who else can he talk to about this? Guys that are 37, 38, 39 years old that can still play two or three years? That’s his thing, he says, ‘I’ve played a lot of football. I want to make sure I’m doing the right thing. I want to make sure I can commit 100 percent.’”
Nevertheless, other people around the NFL are surprised Favre might even be wavering. Thompson said he talked with a coach from an NFC North Division rival who said, “Brett’s thinking about not playing, are you kidding me?” Kevin Gilbride, the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champion Giants, said that, as an outsider looking in, he didn’t see any of the signs of a quarterback who’s had enough. He said he’d look for waning interest in preparing for games or an unwillingness to take hits anymore, and he saw no signs of that from Favre.
“Certainly, in preparing for Minnesota and Detroit and those people, I’d see Green Bay’s offense as I studied those other teams’ defenses, (and) he looks like he can play another five years,” Gilbride said. “He’s still got the cannon for an arm. He’s still got a great feel for what’s going on. He looks like he has a great understanding of what they’re trying to do. I think it’s just a matter of when he’s had enough. He’s still a very, very, very effective player.”
Until Favre actually says he’s coming back, however, there’s always the chance he’ll retire. If that happens, league sources say Thompson and McCarthy appear to be feeling better than ever about having Rodgers as his successor.
Thompson’s first draft pick (No. 24 overall) in the 2005 draft, Rodgers struggled in the exhibition season as a rookie but has improved steadily since then and went a long way toward winning over his bosses this past season in training camp and with his play against Dallas in a big game Nov. 29. He replaced Favre (elbow and shoulder injuries) early in the second quarter against the Cowboys and kept the Packers in the game by leading the offense to 17 points, completing 18 of 26 passes for 201 yards, attaining a passer rating of 104.8 points and scrambling five times for 30 yards.
The bigger concern with Rodgers is durability. He sustained a broken foot while playing in a blowout loss to New England in 2006 that ended his season, and this year, in the week after the Dallas game, he strained a hamstring in practice, which in effect sidelined him for the final four games of the regular season.
“I think he’s a really good player,” Thompson said, “and I don’t say that to defend myself. I’ve picked bad players before and have been fairly upfront about it. This guy’s going to be a good player, I’m convinced of it.
“His arm, his athletic ability, he can move, he has good size, very accurate. He’s a pretty good thrower. After I’d get back from a (college) scouting trip this year, I’d go out there (to practice) every Friday and watch and think, ‘Lord, I’m glad we’ve got him.’ But we’ll see. The proof’s in the pudding.”