Packers QB Brett Favre Hangs Up His Cleats

Favre retires with 5,377 carrer completions in 8,758 attempts for 61,655 yards, 442 touchdowns and 288 interceptions, passing Dan Marino's touchdown mark last season.

Brett Favre, Monday night, informed the Green Bay Packers of his intention to retire from the team and the NFL after 17 years.

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Brett Favre, Monday night, informed the Green Bay Packers of his intention to retire from the team and the NFL.

Favre has had one of the greatest careers in the history of the National Football League, and he is able to walk away from the game on his own terms - not many players are able to do that.

The Packers owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude. He has given Packers fans 16 years of wonderful memories, a Super Bowl championship among them, that will live on forever. Brett's many accomplishments on the field are legendary.

He leaves the game holding virtually every career passing record, plus his consecutive starts streak, which may never be duplicated.

The uniqueness of Brett Favre - his personality, charisma and love of the game - undoubtedly will leave him as one of the enduring figures in NFL history.

Favre went to a pair of Super Bowls in 1996 and 1997, winning it all on his first try in Super Bowl XXXI, and was named to nine Pro Bowls. He passed Marino for the all-time completions record in 2006, and in 2007 set NFL records for wins by a QB, touchdown passes, pass attempts, pass yards and interceptions in 2007. He then claimed the NFL record for career quarterback wins with his 149th victory in Week 2, passed Marino for the TD record in Week 4 and overtook Marino's career passing yards record in Week 15.

Favre started at the quarterback position for The University of Southern Mississippi for four years before being selected in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. After one season with the Falcons, Favre was traded to the Green Bay Packers on February 10, 1992 for the 17th pick in the 1992 NFL Draft. The Falcons later traded that pick to the Dallas Cowboys who selected Kevin Smith. He became the Packers' starting quarterback in the fourth game of the 1992 NFL season, starting every game from then on until his retirement.

Favre is the only three-time AP MVP (1995-97) in NFL history.

In the second game of the 1992 season, the Packers played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers were leading 17-0 at half time when head coach Mike Holmgren benched starting quarterback Don Majkowski and Favre played the second half. On his first regular season play as a Packer, Favre threw a pass which was deflected and caught by himself. Favre was tackled and the completion went for -7 yards. The Packers lost the game 31-3, chalking up only 106 yards passing.

In the third game of the 1992 season, then-starting quarterback Don Majkowski injured a ligament in his ankle against the Cincinnati Bengals, an injury severe enough that he would be out for four weeks. Favre replaced Majkowski for the remainder of the contest. Favre fumbled four times during the course of the game, a performance poor enough that the crowd chanted for Favre to be removed in favor of another Packers backup quarterback at the time, Ty Detmer. However, down 23-17 with 1:07 left in the game, the Packers started an offensive series on their own 8 yard line. Still at the quarterback position, Favre completed a 42 yard pass to Sterling Sharpe. On the next play, Favre threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds remaining.

The next week's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers began the longest consecutive starts streak for a quarterback in NFL history. The game ended in a 17-3 victory and his passer rating was 144.6. During the season, Favre helped put together a six-game winning streak for the Packers, the longest winning streak for the club since 1965. They ended 9-7 that season, missing the playoffs on their last game. Favre finished his first season as a Packer with 3,227 yards and a quarterback rating of 85.3, helping him to his first Pro Bowl.

Sources: NFL, Green Bay Packers, Wikipedia

Favre will be a CowboY before its over. Brett wanted to be a on team that gets a ring, he wanted to help a team do it, but being a starter on a team thats mediocre wont cut it when you take the beating it takes every year. Jones will sign Brett in 3-4 months as a backup if the money is right for both. Jones has no qualms signing older backup QBs esp. when it means having a solid quarter like Brett and winning "NOW". Brett will be back, just not for the Pack and that is sad. Jones is positioning the team to win quick and he can make the deals. Brett lives in LA and it wont be a stretch to show up at Cowboy games and get a ring this year or next. He has more value that Testeverde or Bledsoe had at their Cowboy positions. PLUS dont forget Jones wants to sell tickets in Dallas for the coming SuperBowl in his new stadium and he is banking on HIS team being there in 2009-2010. watch the tale of this tape and you heard it here. At Brett's age only a quick chance to win with the right peices will work, and he can't resist NOT being close to the game he loves and nab a ring also.

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