Favre calls it quits, again

Posted: Wed Feb 11 10:52 AM

Florham Park, NJ (Sports Network) - Future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre is apparently ready to call it a career, and this time it could be for real.

New York Jets chairman and CEO Woody Johnson learned of the decision after speaking with Favre on Wednesday morning.

"I had a great conversation with Brett this morning," Johnson said in a statement. "Considering that he came from a totally different environment and joined our team during training camp, his performance last season was extraordinary. As I spoke with people throughout the organization, they all told me how much they enjoyed working with him. Brett Favre is a Hall-of-Fame player, but he is also a Hall-of-Fame person. Brett, Deanna and his family will always be a part of the Jets family."

It will mark the second retirement for Favre in less than a year.

Favre, then a member of the Green Bay Packers, tearfully announced his retirement last March 6, but had a change of heart during the summer. The Packers had already revealed their plans to move on at quarterback, naming Aaron Rodgers the starter, and eventually traded Favre to the Jets in August.

The three-time MVP helped the Jets to an 8-3 start, but Favre and the team stumbled over the final five games. The Jets finished the campaign with just one win to conclude the season at 9-7, missing the playoffs.

Favre's struggles mirrored those of the team, as he threw just two touchdown passes and was intercepted nine times in those last five games. It was revealed after the season that Favre was playing with a torn right biceps.

For the season, the 39-year-old veteran threw for 3,472 yards with 22 touchdowns and a league-high 22 interceptions.

"When we acquired Brett, we knew we would get everything he had," Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said in a statement. "He took the time to mentor younger players and his competitiveness and enthusiasm at practice and during games was contagious. I spoke with him this morning and told him that he will be a friend of the Jets for years to come and it was an honor to work with him."

Favre spent 18 seasons in the NFL and starred for 16 years with the Packers, who acquired him from Atlanta before the 1992 season. He threw four passes in two games with the Falcons, who had selected the Southern Mississippi product in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft.

The ultimate gunslinger, Favre was a seven-time All-Pro and was selected to 10 Pro Bowls, including this past season with New York. He will leave the game as the NFL's all-time record holder in several categories, including wins by a starting quarterback, passing yards, touchdowns, interceptions and consecutive games started.

Favre completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 65,127 yards with 464 touchdowns and 310 interceptions. He led the Packers to a pair of Super Bowls, winning his lone title after the 1996 season in a 35-21 victory over New England. The Packers lost to Denver in the Super Bowl the following season.

There will be continuing speculation throughout the spring and summer that Favre may want to return, especially if the Jets release him and he can sign with another team.

Last summer it was reported that Favre wanted to remain in the NFC North Division if he could not stay with the Packers, and the Minnesota Vikings were rumored to be his first choice. The Vikings, despite a playoff appearance this past season, are still unsettled at quarterback after Gus Frerotte and Tarvaris Jackson split time as the starter in 2008.

"He said he was done playing," Tannenbaum remarked at a news conference Wednesday. "I'm going to take him at his word."

As for the Jets, Kellen Clemens now becomes the quarterback with the most experience. Clemens, a third-year pro out of Oregon, started eight games during the 2007 season.

Other quarterbacks on the Jets roster include Brett Ratliff, a first-year player from Utah, and Erik Ainge, a rookie from Tennessee who spent most of the season on injured reserve.

"We're going to move forward with those three quarterbacks on our roster," said Tannenbaum. "We do feel good about the players we have at that position."

Favre's decision cuts $13 million off the Jets' salary cap for the 2009 season.