Which only makes sense. Surely the Packers don't want to retire Favre's No. 4 while he is actively playing for another team. Instead, they'll just wait until he hangs it up for good. And they might be best served waiting several years after he retires the next time just to be sure he doesn't come back again. Even then, with Favre, who knows?
The postponement could also mean the future Hall of Famer is coming back to the Packers, but I think he and General Manger Ted Thompson have successfully burned just about all bridges between them. This quote in the Green Bay Press-Gazette from Thursday's shareholders' meeting seems to indicate Thompson probably isn't going to change his mind about bringing back the three-time league MVP:
"We are a family here," he said. "Families sometimes disagree, but they remain family. Through it all we are guided by the overriding goal of doing what is right, what is right for the organization, and what is right for this team. This is a team, and we're very excited about this team coming forward."
At this point it is hard to fathom a reconciliation, although that is probably what's best for the Packers in 2008. For the long run? Who knows?
Give Thompson some credit, though, for sticking by his decision. Three years from now, however, he will be viewed as one of two things; a genius or an idiot.
And most of that hinges on the performance of new starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, who is in a tough enough situation to begin having to follow a legend. That's never an easy thing to do. Now, on top of that, he has the added pressure of having to battle a perception that perhaps Favre was pushed out before he was ready to go. And as long as Favre continues to play, Rodgers, fairly or unfairly, will be compared to him.
