National Football League

8 years ago, Brett Favre's NFL career changed forever

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:29 p.m. ET

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Andrew Lynch

On Saturday, Brett Favre's NFL career will come to its final and decisive end. The ole gunslinger will enter the Hall of Fame, with his wife, Deanna, serving as his presenter.

Yet in an alternate Favre timeline, all this pomp and circumstance is already behind him. Had the legendary quarterback not famously changed his mind eight years ago Thursday, he would have been a member of the Class of 2013.

The 2007 season was a remarkable one for Favre. He considered retirement after the 2006 campaign, with Chicago Bears fans going so far as to give Favre a standing ovation in the regular-season finale -- just in case. Instead, he returned and broke NFL records for wins and total career TD passes (marks Peyton Manning would later surpass).

Green Bay finished 2007 with a 13-3 record before falling to the New York Giants in overtime of the NFC Championship Game. Favre played the hero and the goat in that contest. He connected with Donald Driver for the longest pass in Packers playoff history, a 90-yard scoring strike that continued Favre's streak of 18 straight playoff games with a TD pass.

He also threw one of the worst passes of his career. With a potential Super Bowl berth on the line in overtime, Favre missed several open receivers and tossed a wounded duck in Driver's general direction. In the face of bitter cold and the Giants' pass rush, Favre seemingly tried to avoid a big hit while making a play that was destined to fail. New York came away with an interception, setting up Lawrence Tynes' game-winning field goal.

It was Favre's final pass in a Packers jersey.

On March 4, 2008, Favre officially announced he was retiring from the NFL in an emotional press conference. He claimed he was done because he no longer felt like playing. Perhaps that's true, but it ignores the context of the decision.

The Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers in 2005; in the subsequent years, he showed glimpses of his future acclaim during the preseason and during the rare snaps Favre missed due to injury, and by 2008 Rodgers was clearly ready to take over as the starting QB in Green Bay.

With Favre retired, the Packers tried to move on. They planned to retire his jersey in a game against the Minnesota Vikings, because the universe has a uniquely twisted sense of humor.

Come the summer, Favre wavered. He reached out to the team about a possible comeback in late June, then abruptly changed course and requested his release so that he could sign elsewhere. Coach Mike McCarthy's reported response probably played into that about-face:

Still, Favre officially remained retired. This despite stating in a televised interview that he was "100 percent committed" to a comeback — potentially with the Vikings, whom the Packers accused of tampering. The NFL ruled that Minnesota had not acted inappropriately, however, and on August 3, the league stated that Favre would be reinstated if he so desired.

On August 4, Favre returned to the Packers, much to the chagrin of coach McCarthy:

The result of that communication? A trade to the New York Jets on Aug. 6. Green Bay received a conditional fourth-round pick in return for the most important player in franchise history. In that moment, Favre's legacy changed forever. He will always be remembered as one of the game's greatest stars, but he sacrificed going down in history as THE Green Bay Packer to give it another shot.

The Jets, meanwhile, received a 37-year-old QB who admitted he was a little out of shape. He helped New York to an 8-3 start, but the Jets lost four of their last five games in 2008, and Favre once again looked to retire.

And once again, he changed his mind. The Jets released Favre in April 2009, clearing the way for the Hall of Famer to join the Minnesota Vikings.

First, though, he had to continue the drama. In July, Favre told Vikings coach Brad Childress that he was staying retired, and he issued a public statement:

Well then. That's pretty concrete. And as we all know, Favre never played another snap in the NFL.

Oh, wait, just kidding. On Aug. 18, he signed with the Vikings, joining one of the Packers' fiercest rivals. He had a fantastic season in Minnesota, leading the Vikings to a 12-4 record in 2009 and an NFC Championship Game appearance against the Saints. New Orleans prevailed in overtime, however, and the retirement conversation started anew.

This time, resolution came quickly. Sort of, anyway. Favre returned for the 2010 season, but age finally betrayed him. After a shoulder injury and arthroscopic surgery on his ankle, Favre called it quits once and for all on January 17, 2011. Five years later, he stands on the cusp of football's greatest individual achievement.

It was a bizarre saga that somehow made sense. Favre made a living out of being unorthodox. The Hall will tell that story, warts and all. As we saw earlier this week, Favre's shrine will feature jerseys from both the Packers and the Vikings, as it rightfully should.

Those hallowed halls tell the story of the game and its legends. To share Favre's tale, one must mention the drama. Congratulations to the gunslinger, and thanks for the memories.

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