Over a 15-year career from 1992 to 2007, the man who pretty much added the term gunslinger to the footballing vernacular took his Green Bay Packers to two Super Bowls, earned himself three consecutive MVP awards and started every single game between Sept. 20, 1992, and Jan. 20, 2008 (including a thunderous 41-7 win at Oakland the day after his father died).
It’s understandably difficult to walk away from a record like that, and Brett Favre’s reticence to retire began at the end of the 2006 season. With the Packers in the throes of a rebuilding year, their field general decided against hanging up his spikes and led his team to the NFC Championship game. The next season brought renewed speculation over Favre’s future; with the Packers’ management leaning toward giving the football to his protégé, Aaron Rodgers, Favre announced his retirement in early 2008. But by training camp, Favre had decided he wanted to play on. With the Pack firmly behind Rodgers as their quarterback of the future, Favre was traded to the New York Jets. Sadly for Favre (and the Jets), the fairy tale ended without a playoff run. The king of Green Bay retired again at the end of the 2008 season. But rumors of his return are yet again flying, with his likely destination being the Minnesota Vikings. Coach Brad Childress has confirmed in an e-mail to the Associated Press that Favre would be meeting up with the team.