Monday, July 14, 2008

As the Favre Turns

I can't avoid it. I have a great deal of sympathy for Ted Thompson. Favre is acting like a real head case. He's made Thompson's job difficult and placed even more pressure on Aaron Rogers should the Packers not take him back. (Keep that last bit in mind.)

But I am also willing to cut Brett a little slack. Not because he is a superstar, but because anyone who has watched the guy play must know that the prospect of stopping must be tearing him apart. He knows he has to do it. He wants to do it at the right time, But he just cain't.

So he's changed his mind and it must be driving Thompson crazy. But here's the thing. Put aside the possibility that Thompson believes that Aaron Rogers is a better quarterback today. Such a belief would be facially irrational. Even if it turns out to be true, there is no reason to believe it to be so. In any event, it appears that Thompson himself does not believe it. By his version of events, he was willing to start Favre over Rogers three months ago.

Clearly Rogers (or some other quarterback) is the future. But when you come within one drive of going to the Super Bowl - when you have a team that has won seventeen of its last twenty-two games - the future is now. If a team that is already very good will be better with Favre, then it is in the best interests of the team to play him.

And it also may be in the best interest of Aaron Rogers. Following Favre's act is difficult enough, doing it when the fans know that they could have had another year of Brett makes it even more difficult. If he struggles, it was always going to be ugly. Now it's going to be even uglier.

We've "made our plans" is meaningless. Favre is certainly able to step in and run the offense that he ran last year. And if Aaron Rogers is big enough to succeed Favre, he's big enough to wait another year.

As frustrated as they may be, Thompson and McCarthy are doing the wrong thing. They should take him back.

Apparently that won't happen. I don't think it will be Tampa Bay. I don't see them sending him to anyone who is on this year's schedule. Washington makes more sense. If they play, it'll be in the postseason and, if that happens, Rogers will probably have turned out to be pretty good. Baltimore seems like the other possibility. They may not get it, but I'd insist on a first round draft choice.

4 comments:

Christian Schneider said...

If Randy Moss is worth a fourth round pick in his prime, what exactly is Favre worth for one year? Especially considering whatever team takes him will be doing the Packers a huge favor by removing his salary from the Packers' cap. My guess is they get a pair of late rounders.

3rd Way said...

If they bench Rodgers this season he walks away from the Packers next season. Is trading one year for the services of a 39 yr old Favre, worth the potential career of a 25 yr old Rodgers?

Giving the starting job to Favre now sends the message to the rest of the team that they aren't playing for the Packers they are playing for the Green Bay Favre Appeasers.

The NFL should be capturing the insider perspective of this whole debacle on film. A talented film maker could turn this soap opera into the best sports documentary ever made.

Rick Esenberg said...

Rogers is under contract through 2009. The only way this is a problem next year is if Favre plays well and takes the Packers deep into the playoffs next year. If that happens, I guess I'm ok with it.

Playing Favre isn't appeasing him if he is the best quarterback that the Packers have. Maybe he isn't but all of the evidence available to mere mortals says that he is.

Jimi5150 said...

As I've blogged . . . pure speculation. I'm more nervous about Favre coming back and sucking than I am about Rodgers starting.