Report: Rex Ryan Didn’t Want Favre

[packers11]

pft.com

Report: Rex Ryan Didn’t Want Favre
Posted by Mike Florio on March 29, 2009, 11:47 a.m.

The moment free agency opened last month, Jets coach Rex Ryan was knocking on Bart Scott’s door.

Thus, Ryan had an obvious interest in Scott.

In contrast, Gary Myers of the New York Daily News reports that Ryan didn’t even call former Jets quarterback Brett Favre.

Myers points out that Ryan was hired on January 19, and that Favre retired on February 11. In the interim, Ryan didn’t reach out to Favre once in an effort to persuade him to play.

“If Ryan wanted Favre, he would have called him or shown up on his doorstep in Hattiesburg,” Myers writes.

And he’s right. The Jets knew that they couldn’t afford Favre’s $13 million salary in 2009, but they didn’t want to cut him. So by not applying lips to Lord Favre’s buttocks, Ryan sent a powerful message.

In the end, Favre blinked, retiring before the Jets had to dump his cap number.

That said, if Favre is willing to take the P.R. hit arising from his second straight unretirement, all he needs to do is send the Comissioner a letter asking to be removed from the reserve-retired list, and the Jets would have no choice but to cut him. Unlike the cap-rich Packers a year ago, the Jets wouldn’t be able to absorb Favre’s salary.

Could Favre comeback???

[Partial]

Don't call it a comeback. He been here for years.

[Joemailman]

Favre has a bad shoulder

Favre will be 40 in October

Favre faded badly down the stretch last year.

Favre got a new chainsaw for Christmas (Okay, I made that one up.)

It's over, and Favre knows it this time.

Happy Retirement, Brett. You've earned it.

[Fritz]

Sigh.

I hope he stays retired this time.

[BF4MVP]

It's not a surprise Ryan didn't want him..

He had a great September last year but was awful after that..Then he took his terrible play to a whole new level in December..

Plus he's turning 40 and makes 13 million bucks..

They couldn't afford him anyways so it doesn't matter, but even if they could, I don't see why they would want him...

Happy retirement Brett..And stay there this time..PLEASE

[Lurker64]

I wonder if Favre did try to unretire *again* the chances of Goodell just telling him to cut this out an not sign the retirement papers. He pretty much has to sign them by the league rules, but Goodell is a trailblazer. After last year, Favre's waffle house and annual fade down the stretch might hurt the NFL brand more than Favre's legacy and good early season would help it.

[Tarlam!]

I wonder if Favre did try to unretire *again* the chances of Goodell just telling him to cut this out an not sign the retirement papers.

I believe they're signed, sealed and delivered. It was made a point of when he retired...

[Patler]

In the end, it appears Favre did exactly what he said he would never do, hang on until he wasn't wanted. That's OK, it was his right to do that. However, it does show how rare it is for a great one to go out while still great. Barry Sanders did, Jim Brown did, probably a few others, too. But it's not common for that to happen.

[Lurker64]

I wonder if Favre did try to unretire *again* the chances of Goodell just telling him to cut this out and not sign the retirement papers.

I believe they're signed, sealed and delivered. It was made a point of when he retired...

Sorry, I meant the "unretirement papers" above. When Favre unretires, he has to send some sort of letter to the league requesting reinstatement, which Goodell could potentially decline to approve.

[Partial]

I wonder if Favre did try to unretire *again* the chances of Goodell just telling him to cut this out an not sign the retirement papers. He pretty much has to sign them by the league rules, but Goodell is a trailblazer. After last year, Favre's waffle house and annual fade down the stretch might hurt the NFL brand more than Favre's legacy and good early season would help it.

annual fade? Don't you think thats a bit harsh and just straight up wrong? He was hurt last year. Two years ago, he played quite well taking his team to the championship game.

It will probably be a long time before we sniff a championship game again, so show some respect for the greatest player in franchise history.

[Lurker64]

annual fade? Don't you think thats a bit harsh and just straight up wrong? He was hurt last year. Two years ago, he played quite well taking his team to the championship game.

It will probably be a long time before we sniff a championship game again, so show some respect for the greatest player in franchise history.

Just the facts: In regular season games played in December or later, in the past 5 seasons Favre has had the following performances.

2008: 4 TD, 8 INT (4 games)
2007: 6 TD 5 INT (4 games)
2006: 3 TD 6 INT (4 games)
2005: 1 TD 10 INT (5 games)
2004: 8 TD 6 INT (5 games)

Prior to December in each of these seasons Favre threw:
2008: 18 TD 14 INT (12 games)
2007: 22 TD 10 INT (12 games)
2006: 15 TD 12 INT (12 games)
2005: 19 TD 19 INT (11 games)
2004: 22 TD 11 INT (11 games)

Now considering that Favre's TD/INT ratio has been much worse later in the season that it is earlier in the season over the past five years, including 2007 when by all accounts he had a great season, I don't think "annual fade" is at all unfair, simply descriptive. When he got older, he didn't play as well towards the end of the season and in harsh conditions... it happens to every old guy in the league, hall of fame QBs are no exception. I'm just stating facts, there's no disrespect involved in stating facts.

[Waldo]

I wonder if Favre did try to unretire *again* the chances of Goodell just telling him to cut this out an not sign the retirement papers. He pretty much has to sign them by the league rules, but Goodell is a trailblazer. After last year, Favre's waffle house and annual fade down the stretch might hurt the NFL brand more than Favre's legacy and good early season would help it.

annual fade? Don't you think thats a bit harsh and just straight up wrong? He was hurt last year. Two years ago, he played quite well taking his team to the championship game.

It will probably be a long time before we sniff a championship game again, so show some respect for the greatest player in franchise history.

Young 'uns.

Starr, Hutson > Favre.

[Packnut]

Nope

I wonder if Favre did try to unretire *again* the chances of Goodell just telling him to cut this out an not sign the retirement papers. He pretty much has to sign them by the league rules, but Goodell is a trailblazer. After last year, Favre's waffle house and annual fade down the stretch might hurt the NFL brand more than Favre's legacy and good early season would help it.

annual fade? Don't you think thats a bit harsh and just straight up wrong? He was hurt last year. Two years ago, he played quite well taking his team to the championship game.

It will probably be a long time before we sniff a championship game again, so show some respect for the greatest player in franchise history.

Young 'uns.

Starr, Hutson > Favre.

I would beg to differ depending on your criteria. Let me first state that I am without a doubt, the biggest Bart Starr fan on the planet. No classier individual has EVER been born than Mr Starr. Also, he was without a doubt, the most intelligent QB to ever play the game.

That said, he played on teams full of all-pros. He played for the greatest coach who ever walked the sidelines.

Favre played for one good coach, then played for an idiot and then for a guy who is and was learning on the job. He had less than stellar players around him more often than not.

Favre took a franchise that was DEAD. It had NO HEART or SOUL. Any honest Packer fan would admit that it was downright EMBARRASSING being a Packer fan in the 70's and 80's. Favre gave us PRIDE. He made Sunday's fun again. We always thought there was a chance with #04. Just because there are a lot of ungrateful clowns who dis-respect and take for granted what he did, does'nt make his impact any less.

Hutson played in game that was totally different from what the NFL evolved into in the 60's. It's tough to measure the effects of the old timers and compare them to what we have now.

[bobblehead]

In the end, it appears Favre did exactly what he said he would never do, hang on until he wasn't wanted. That's OK, it was his right to do that. However, it does show how rare it is for a great one to go out while still great. Barry Sanders did, Jim Brown did, probably a few others, too. But it's not common for that to happen.

Yea, why can't they all get out on top like Evander Holyfield.

[Patler]

annual fade? Don't you think thats a bit harsh and just straight up wrong? He was hurt last year. Two years ago, he played quite well taking his team to the championship game.

It will probably be a long time before we sniff a championship game again, so show some respect for the greatest player in franchise history.

Just the facts: In regular season games played in December or later, in the past 5 seasons Favre has had the following performances.

2008: 4 TD, 8 INT (4 games)
2007: 6 TD 5 INT (4 games)
2006: 3 TD 6 INT (4 games)
2005: 1 TD 10 INT (5 games)
2004: 8 TD 6 INT (5 games)

Prior to December in each of these seasons Favre threw:
2008: 18 TD 14 INT (12 games)
2007: 22 TD 10 INT (12 games)
2006: 15 TD 12 INT (12 games)
2005: 19 TD 19 INT (11 games)
2004: 22 TD 11 INT (11 games)

Now considering that Favre's TD/INT ratio has been much worse later in the season that it is earlier in the season over the past five years, including 2007 when by all accounts he had a great season, I don't think "annual fade" is at all unfair, simply descriptive. When he got older, he didn't play as well towards the end of the season and in harsh conditions... it happens to every old guy in the league, hall of fame QBs are no exception. I'm just stating facts, there's no disrespect involved in stating facts.

I'll add a few more stats to Lurkers numbers:

For the last four years, Favre has tailed off rather significantly the last 5 games. 2008 was by no stretch of the imagination an oddity. Even 2007 was not great statistically for him over the last 1/3 of the season. The following are for the last 5 games in each season:

2008 - 98/175, 1110 yards, 2 TDs, 9 Ints. - 57.56 rating.
2007 - 65/110, 799 yards, 6 TDs, 6 Ints. - 77.05 rating.
2006 - 113/210, 1251 yards, 4 TDs, 8 Ints. - 62.22 rating.
2005 - 117/206, 1167 yards, 1 TD, 10 Ints. - 54.41 rating.

In total, 20 games, 13 TDs and 33 interceptions. He generally started the seasons quite strong, but finished rather poorly.