The Football Fan Spot

Guess who’s back! Brett Favre! Now I know what you’re thinking, didn’t he retire? Yes, he did, actually several times. I know what you’re thinking, didn’t he just 2 weeks ago say that he was done with football? Yes, but apparently that means nothing. Brett Favre has signed a 2 year deal with the Minnesota Vikings today and is expected to be the starting quarterback week 1, extending his record for most consecutive starts by an NFL player.

            If I were the Vikings, I’m not so sure I would have given him a deal. Yes, they needed a quarterback, but you’re getting a 40-year-old one who led the league in interceptions last year. On top of that, and possibly more important, he has a huge ego, like to the point where he thinks he’s above the team. He retires, wants to come back, is unsure about coming back, says he’s not coming back, and then 2 weeks later, comes into Viking camp where they had their own little quarterback battle going and expects to be the week 1 quarterback.

            What’s worse is that he’s right. He will be the week 1 quarterback. He’s just too damn talented to put on the bench, even if he is an asshole who thinks he is above the team. However, if he fails, he’s going to get yet another coach fired. It was likely Brad Childress’s idea to bring in Favre, even after he said no. It was Childress’s idea to throw out all of the franchise dignity and sign Favre. If the Vikings can’t make a deep playoff run, Childress will be gone.

            I wouldn’t be surprised if Favre only said no 2 weeks ago, because he didn’t want to go to training camp, which he does not like, knowing that the job would still be there for him in 2 weeks. That’s just the kind of guy Favre is.

            From a fantasy perspective, Favre is a decent QB1. I’ll update my official quarterback rankings later, but you can feel safe with him as your starting quarterback. He had surgery on the arm that caused him all of the problems the last. He is playing 8 of his games in a dome and we all know that Favre has struggled in the cold since turning 37 or so. He has Adrian Peterson at the running back position to open up passing lanes for him, but he’s going to be overdrafted because of his name, though I am operating from very little data about the average draft position of Favre. He has very little time to gel with his team and learn the playbook, which was supposed to be a crazy wildcat offense with Percy Harvin, Tavaris Jackson, and Adrian Peterson, which would have been deadly. Now we’ll probably see Favre just gun sling it 30 times a game, but still. He’ll have less than 3 weeks to gel with his team.

            Adrian Peterson should see a significant increase in his YPC this season, maybe up to 5 per game, with a true quarterback to open up running lanes, but be careful of Favre changing the offense to a pass heavy offense to suit himself, cutting down on Peterson’s carries, which would be very bad from a fantasy perspective. Bernard Berrian, Favre’s #1 option, is going to get a little bit of a bump up in my wide receiver rankings the next time I update them.

            As for Favre’s future, he has now ruined his reputation even more. In the past 18 months, he has thrown his old team under the bus, putting them in an awkward situation to start last year, gotten Eric Mangini fired, and now essentially barged into Viking camp expecting a starting job, not to mention the fact that he will now play for his former team’s biggest rival (Packers vs. Vikings just got a whole lot more exciting). He’s probably going to get Brad Childress fired in a few months and repeating this will he won’t he thing again next offseason. In the minds of many, he has gone from Hall of Famer to asshole. That’s not to say he’s not a Hall of Famer. He’ll get in 5 years after he finally stops playing, whenever that is. He will also have this whole will he unretire thing follow him probably until he dies. I won’t believe he’s retired until he’s dead (that may or may not be an exaggeration). 

Want to buy Favre's jersey?

Brett Favre Minnesota Vikings Jersey

It is May the 2nd 2009, approximately 3 months into the NFL's off season, and more than 2 and a half months after Brett Favre's retirement. Yet, for some reason, I am still writing a blog about Brett Favre. Why, you may ask. Let's see what's happened in the last week.

Brett Favre was released by the New York Jets, seemingly because the Jets drafted quarterback Mark Sanchez's and needed room on the roster. However, 2 days later, reports came out that Brett Favre asked not once, but twice, to be released by the Jets. Why would a retired quarterback be that persistent in getting out of his contract? One day later, a plane from Minneapolis, whose Vikings are in need of a quarterback, to the small town of Hattiesburg, which Favre resides, which almost gets no planes coming in. Today, Minnesota coach Brad Childress has said that they will discuss the possibilities of Brett Favre, or rather that they won't not discuss Favre, which is code for, we are considering Brett Favre.

"We talk about everything," Childress said almost sarcastically. "So yeah, I'm sure we'll talk about that," in response to a question about Brett Favre on the Viking's first day of minicamp. Brett has remained quiet, but with more than 4 months to go until the season starts, I have to talk about the possibility of Brett to the Vikings.

First, I'll start by saying that it can't hurt the Vikings. Favre is better than Tavaris Jackson, Sage Rosenfels, and John David Booty and, most likely, their isn't a quarterback in that group that is the future franchise quarterback of the Vikings, whose growth the addition of Favre could stunt. The Vikings have a great defense, especially if Kevin and Pat Williams don't get suspended. They have a phenomenal running game which gets better with the addition of right tackle Phil Loadholt. They even have good receivers, with Bernard Berrian, 3rd year player Sidney Rice, and rookie Percy Harvin. They just don't have the quarterback.

Imagine how good those receivers get if someone like Favre comes in. Imagine how good Adrian Peterson gets if he no longer has to deal with guys stacking the box against him, along with the addition of a true right side blocker in Loadholt. Imagine how dangerous that offense is when combined with their excellent defense. They don't play in a good division. The Bears have a new quarterback who will have to learn the system. The Packers still have defensive issues. The Lions still suck. The addition of Favre could make this Vikings team a true title contender.

While the Vikings would be making a great move by bringing in Favre, Favre would be making a fool of himself by coming back again. He does this every year, if you want people to not get annoyed with you, shut up and stay out of the game. Now, let me say, if these are all rumors with no merit, then Favre I apologize for that statement (as if he actually reads my blog). Favre still has fans in Green Bay, why alienate them by coming back with your team's archrival? People still respect you despite the fact that you can't make up your mind, why risk ruining that? Favre will be a Hall of Famer as soon as he is eligible, but if he's wants people to still respect him when he finally does retire in 2010, or 2011, or 2015, then he needs to make up his mind.

Obviously, there is going to be a lot of Favre talk over the next few months, and even if he doesn't come back with the Vikings, or another team, remember the Browns have publicly said they will welcome him, before the season, the Favre talk isn't going to die until he sits a whole year. What happens if Tony Romo, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, or (hopefully not) Tom Brady gets hurt early in the season and has to miss the year. Could Favre pass up those opportunities? My gut now says no. It's up to him to prove me wrong.