Brett Favre, as we all know, is a first-ballot Hall of Famer once he finally retires from the NFL. The problem is, he never manages to actually stay retired.
Ninety percent of Favre's records will never be broken. What the man brought to the game were passion and sportsmanship. He played the game they way it was meant to be played; no one can ever deny his love for it.
But the last couple of seasons, Favre has been ridiculed because of his indecisiveness over retirement. After "retiring" from the Packers in 2008, he got the itch to return and was promptly traded to the Jets. After "retiring" (again) from the Jets, he was signed by the Vikings, where he made an incredible run in 2009 and a forgetful one in 2010.
Still, with all the heat he has taken for his "retirement" schemes the past few seasons and his lewd (and frankly, bizarre) behavior off the field, the soap opera that is Brett Favre is not over yet.
Let's face it: his 2010 season was horrible... or was it really as bad as we think? One cannot possibly call his 2010 numbers Hall of Fame-caliber statistics. But upon diving deeper, you may realize they aren't all that bad, given the circumstances from last year.
In 13 games Favre started, he only led his team to five victories. He produced the lowest passer rating of his career (69.9). He completed 60 percent of his passes, but threw 19 interceptions to 11 touchdowns. Not to mention that his "Iron-Man" streak also came to an abrupt end.
However, Favre did not have his top target from 2009, wide receiver Sidney Rice, for much of the 2010 campaign. His offensive line was horrific and allowed the gunslinger to be beaten and hurried repeatedly.
Also worth mentioning, he (again) had to deal with the terrible decisions and play-calling from then-head coach Brad Childress. Not to mention the 'sexting' scandal and the Randy Moss debacle. However, he still led his team to a terrific overtime win against the Cardinals and fell just short after playing terrifically against the Packers (Week 7) and the Jets (Week 5).
Ladies and gentlemen, Favre can still play. You don't have an incredible season in 2009 and just all of a sudden collapse in 2010 without their being contributing factors to said collapse (I realized their are fluke seasons, but Favre has been "great" his entire career. Hence, the "first-ballot Hall of Famer" title).
With the lockout pushing the NFL offseason further into the summer, rookie quarterbacks have less and less time to learn their team's playbooks and prepare effectively.
But the one thing Favre wants no matter what right now is redemption. Not against the Packers, or the Vikings, or the Jets, but against his naysayers. Favre has had an excellent career as a starter; he can now be that backup for a needy team, the No. 2 guy, the mentor. He could teach a kid like Cam Newton; he'd still be around football and would clean up his "image" from the last couple of seasons while solidifying his spot in history as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.
Favre is still better at age 41 than at least 41 percent of starting NFL quarterbacks. And he's likely 90 percent better than any other backup in the league.
I'm not saying I expect Favre to be on an NFL roster by Week 1. Somewhere along the line, though, when someone gets injured, or if someone struggles, Favre may very well get the call and once again return to the NFL.
Kerry Suseck FSU Cowgirls Abbie Cornish Krista Allen Hayden Panettiere
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