Packers won't retire #4 in 2009
Last night, Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy said that the Packers won't retire Brett Favre's #4 jersey in 2009.
Favre, who was the Falcons' second-round draft pick in 1991, was 0-5 for 2 interceptions and sacked once in his rookie year with Atlanta.
Last year, Favre helped turn around the Jets, who made a five-game win improvement to 9 wins with Favre. After the Jets started 8-3, however, the Jets fell apart primarily due to Favre's 2 TD:9 INT stretch in the final five weeks (1-4) of the season.
In all the years in between his first and last, which were spent with the Packers, Favre became the NFL's leader in passing yards and touchdowns (among other records), won a Super Bowl (XXXI) and won three consecutive league MVPs (1995-1997).
While he was revered in Green Bay, he admitted to SI's Peter King that "part of me coming back last year, I have to admit now, was sticking it to Ted [Thompson, Packers GM].''
Not only does it make sense to wait from a "practical standpoint," time will allow the wounds of Packers' fans bitter with how he left to heal.
“Obviously we will do it,” Murphy said. “We’ve made that commitment. He deserves to have his number retired. I just think both sides need some time. Quite honestly, from a practical standpoint, we’ve had to cancel one retirement ceremony already. I think it’s smart to make sure he is retired rather than going through a situation like that again.”However, Murphy didn't rule out extending the personal services contract that Favre was offered last year.
Favre, who was the Falcons' second-round draft pick in 1991, was 0-5 for 2 interceptions and sacked once in his rookie year with Atlanta.
Last year, Favre helped turn around the Jets, who made a five-game win improvement to 9 wins with Favre. After the Jets started 8-3, however, the Jets fell apart primarily due to Favre's 2 TD:9 INT stretch in the final five weeks (1-4) of the season.
In all the years in between his first and last, which were spent with the Packers, Favre became the NFL's leader in passing yards and touchdowns (among other records), won a Super Bowl (XXXI) and won three consecutive league MVPs (1995-1997).
While he was revered in Green Bay, he admitted to SI's Peter King that "part of me coming back last year, I have to admit now, was sticking it to Ted [Thompson, Packers GM].''
Not only does it make sense to wait from a "practical standpoint," time will allow the wounds of Packers' fans bitter with how he left to heal.
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