Favre told Thompson he was quiting?

[Tarlam!]

Favre has set the bar too high for himself to legitimately come back in. He wants to compete for the Super Bowl or retire.

What would that take with what's left in FA, potential June cuts and draft picks? How on earth can TT or anyone make the Pack SB contenders THIS YEAR?

I think the train has left the station, and Brett's not on it. I hate the thought of not seeing a #4 jersey leading our O ever again, but, I think that was it....

[Bretsky]

""What would that take with what's left in FA, potential June cuts and draft picks? How on earth can TT or anyone make the Pack SB contenders THIS YEAR? ""


TT could have revamped this team through free agency with his 35MIL and chose not to.

As for what's left, I'd think the Packers trading for a starting center like Jeff Faine and siging a past star like Woodsen or Law might do it........but TT is too cheap to get anything done fast so the decision, as for TT's moves, could drag on.

[packrulz]

The fact that Favre mentioned Whittacker & Wells by name says a lot. There are no Reggie Whites out there. For the sake of argument TT could trade for John Abraham & Jeff Faine & pick up a FA guard but would that make the Packers a Super Bowl contender even with Favre? I doubt it. Favre can still play but I'm sure he doesn't want to get the shit beat out of him by the Bears again. Reading between the lines I think he's done. And I don't want to draft a QB in the 1st round either, that's too much money to have tied up at one position. There are good developmental QB's like Brodie Croyle or Quinton Porter that can be taken later. NFL Draft Countdown has TT taking Hawk in the 1st, Youboty, CB, in the 2nd, & Charles Spencer, OG, in the 3rd. I'd be happy with that, maybe Brett would too. If not, I think A-Rod will do ok.

[GBRulz]

You guys know how big of a fan I am of Favre.... but all along I've been asking myself .. if he really WANTS to play, what is the big decision? It seems to be that he really doesn't want to come back unless it's worth this time, so to speak. That isn't the same Brett Favre who we all know.... Nutz touched on some great points about this in his post.

and B, I agree with you about TT doing nothing. It didn't help that the salary cap went up quite a bit this year and there were a lack of "cap casualties" out there. basically, to get a top name FA, overpaying is the name of the game. But yes, he could most certainly have added some depth without overspending.

[Fritz]

Agree with Nutz and GBMichele that there's something weird going on with Favre. Not sure what - he seems to have changed, perhaps. But we all do.

One thing I am beginning to dislike is Favre's willingness to assume publicly that he's more important than anyone else on the team. Yes, that's true, but you don't say that out loud. For example, let's say TT had gone out and offered Steve Hutchinson the sun, the moon and the stars to come to GB, with the idea implicit that this might lure Favre back. Okay, fine. But how would Clifton and Tauscher feel about being paid less than a guard in this hierarchical league? How's Will Whitticker feeling about Favre calling him a rook all over again?

Does this all mean then that if TT picks Williams or Hawk or Davis at #5 then Favre comes back because they could have an immediate impact, but if TT picks Young then Favre won't come back? Or if TT doesn't draft a guard by the third round Favre won't come back? Is Brett studying the draft sites on his computer to decide who's acceptable as a guard and who's a project? It's getting too weird.

Favre always struck me as a big "team first" guy, but his willingness to crack on the quality of his teammates - publicly - is disturbing. Sure, they might suck - but you don't say that out loud.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Favre always struck me as a big "team first" guy, but his willingness to crack on the quality of his teammates - publicly - is disturbing. Sure, they might suck - but you don't say that out loud.

And particularly a QB talking about his O-line.

i don't see Brett as coming back. He is just having trouble facing reality.

[Fritz]

Let me play psychologist here. Maybe Brett really doesn't want to come back, but he keeps hearing people say they know he's still got the skills to play...and he doesn't want to disappoint, so he's waffling, turning this into a "if they only had more talent" thing.

At this point, if Favre does come back, a small part of me would be wondering what his attitude would be like. He seems - since the second half of last season - to have such a negative, "Ah, F___ it" attitude, that I wonder what effect that'd have on the team. Resentment in the locker room? Somebody daring to call him out on those 29 picks last year?

This is some crazy stuff. It's hard to say this, but I'm starting to wonder if retirement might not be best for all of us: Favre himself, the team, the fans.

[packrulz]

I've been a Favre supporter but he sure has changed, maybe he just has a big head because people treat him like a God. I get the impression he's blaming the 4-12 season on the rest of the team, & that ain't right. He should've been benched halfway through the season for throwing all those picks but Sherman didn't have the balls for some reason. If A-Rod ends up being the starter I bet he won't throw 29 picks, that in itself will help a lot.

[Patler]

I wonder if part of Favre's indecisiveness is from an unwillingness to be held accountable for his throwing decisions next year.

[Fritz]

Generally speaking, it seems to me that Favre gets excused more than most QB's for throwing picks. How often do I read in the Detroit papers that the picks weren't Harrington's or Garcia's fault because the receiver ran the wrong route? Not much. And some of that is no doubt true - and the point is that those intercepts were a team thing. So Favre calling out his O-line (even if there's truth to it) just don't seem right.

[Patler]

Generally speaking, it seems to me that Favre gets excused more than most QB's for throwing picks. How often do I read in the Detroit papers that the picks weren't Harrington's or Garcia's fault because the receiver ran the wrong route? Not much. And some of that is no doubt true - and the point is that those intercepts were a team thing. So Favre calling out his O-line (even if there's truth to it) just don't seem right.

I agree. Fvare is beginning to sound a lot like what I don't like to hear from players.

Someone help me here, please. In what article to he specifically mention Wells and Whittaker? I missed it.

[Fritz]

It was a JSO piece about a week ago, I believe, in which he made the case that with a new offensive blocking scheme Whitticker might as well be a rookie all over again.

Also, his wanting to see more proof that TT is committed to fielding a winner this year can also be seen as an indirect indictment of the young guards/centers, who often improve greatly I might add between their first and second years.

[Deputy Nutz]

I think Favre is also unhappy with Sherman being let go, and his guy or guys not being given an interview or a chance. It seemed to me that Favre had thrown his hat in the corner of Jim Bates, and we all know how that turned out. Favre probably would have prefered Mooch to McCarthy as well. Thompson has proven to Favre time and again that this is his team and Favre is just a part of it no matter the greatness that Favre graced this franchise with. When the sun sets, Favre is still a just a player, and Thompson runs the show.

[woodbuck27]

Re: Favre told Thompson he was quiting?

[quote="Rastak"]Interesting tidbit from KFFL


Packers | Favre told Thompson he was retiring
Sat, 8 Apr 2006 12:59:41 -0700

ESPN's Ed Werder reports at one point last week, Green Bay Packers QB Brett Favre felt he was being pressured into an answer by the team about his future so he told general manager Ted Thompson he was retiring. Thompson then told Favre to take a step back and spend more time making his decision.


In light of the above I found this today:

Thompson: Favre isn't holding up the team
He says Packers are proceeding normally

By TOM SILVERSTEIN
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com
Posted: April 10, 2006

Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson admits that quarterback Brett Favre's indecision on whether to return next season has affected off-season operations, but he rejects the idea that Favre is holding the team hostage and forcing them to make the decision about his future.


Does Ted Thompson need to know Brett Favre's plans? The Packers already have a candidate to replace Favre in Aaron Rodgers.

Thompson said he had a pretty good idea Favre wasn't going to announce his intentions at his charity golf tournament last weekend because Favre didn't call him to say he had made a decision on whether to retire. Favre has until Saturday before the roster bonus deadline in his contract hits again, so it was understood he could take at least until then to make a decision.

Thompson said Favre was not holding up the team.

"I wouldn't put it like that," he said Monday. "For whatever reason, it's taking him a little bit of time. It's a decision he has to make."

Asked if he thought Favre was trying to get the Packers to make the decision for him, Thompson said, "No. I think he's just working through it."

It has been assumed that Thompson needs Favre's decision before the draft April 29 and 30 so the Packers can be sure what their quarterback situation is. Given that three of the top seven or eight selections could be quarterbacks, the Packers probably need to know whether they need to take one with the fifth pick.

But Thompson has said many times that he believes in taking the best player available regardless of position and when asked about selecting a quarterback at the scouting combine in February said he didn't want to risk passing up a franchise player because he was chasing a need in the draft.

So if Thompson truly would take the best player available and it happens to be either Southern California's Matt Leinart, Texas' Vince Young or Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler, would it make any difference if Favre had yet to commit to playing next season? The Packers already have a candidate to replace Favre in 2005 first-round pick Aaron Rodgers, so it would seem the Packers wouldn't necessarily have to know of Favre's decision before the draft.

"I don't know," Thompson said when asked if he absolutely had to know something before the draft. "What's absolutely, in life? Nothing's absolute. Brett and Deanna and his family are trying to make the right decision and I think they understand and I think he has even alluded to the fact that he's anxious to make the decision himself.

"It will happen in time. It's a tough decision he's making. We're going about our business the best we can. It's not ideal circumstances, but it's not ideal for anybody, it's not ideal for Brett I'm sure."

Although Thompson said the Packers were proceeding normally despite not knowing if their starting quarterback was coming back, he did acknowledge the uncertainty could be affecting free agency. Favre has long been a drawing card for other players who thought they had a shot at winning a championship with him at quarterback but they haven't been able to sell that this off-season.

The Packers have not been particularly active in free agency and it's unclear if they've been blown off by some free agents because Favre hasn't committed to playing again.

All but one of their signings from outside has been on defense. "I guess it's theoretically possible we may have been in the running for a free agent or two, but we didn't get because of the uncertainty," Thompson said. "But I don’t know if that's the case."

Thompson said the only place he knows for sure Favre’s uncertain status has affected the Packers is at the quarterback position. Had the Packers known right away that he was retiring, they could have gone after free agents like Drew Brees, Brian Griese, Aaron Brooks, Jon Kitna and Jeff Garcia.


From the April 11, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel