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A Franchise Changing Decision Facing Thompson and the Packers

Posted by Matt Loede under Green Bay Packers 

Ted Thompson

In what has become the number one storyline in the NFL over the past six days, the question asked by many is not if Brett Favre will come back for another season in the NFL, it’s what uniform will he wear come opening day.  The Packers are going to have to ask themselves what exactly are they going to do with Favre, a player that they for whatever reason don’t seem to want back to lead them in the 2008 season.

Favre last season played about as well as at any point in his career, throwing for 4155 yards (Joe Montana never threw for 4000 yards in a season) and 28 TD’s to go along with 15 interceptions.  He carried a QB rating of 95.7.  He led the second-best offense in the NFL, and the Packers made it to the NFC Championship game for the first time since the last season they made the Super Bowl – 1997.  There is no denying that the Packers offense was a good as it’s ever been under Favre last season.

So now with those facts thrown out there, what does Ted Thompson, Packers GM, and head coach Mike McCarthy do?  They have spent the entire offseason getting Aaron Rodgers ready for the starting job, a job that he was basically promised the moment they picked him in the first round back in 2005.  If all reports are true, the Packers have been trying under their breath to get Farve to stay away, but now push looks as if it’s going to come to shove, and the Pack will have that all important decision to make.

Do you release or trade Favre and run the risk of him coming back to haunt you?  Or do you go back on all the work that you did getting Rodgers ready to go for 2008, and let Brett have one more run?  Let’s just say that it’s a position that 31 other teams around the league are happy they are not in at this point.

How Thompson and McCarthy treat this may define them and the Packers for the 08 season.  With Favre under center, they likely don’t miss a beat off of last year, when they put up 31 points or more in a game 8 times.  Without him, and with him wearing another jersey, they run the risk of putting too much stock in Rodgers.  After all, what happens if the former #1 pick is a bust?

If nothing else, it makes for a great story line as fans around the league count down to their favorite teams training camp in a few weeks.  And it also makes for some sleepless nights at Packers headquarters wondering what in fact in the end they are going to do.


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Comments

One Response to “A Franchise Changing Decision Facing Thompson and the Packers”

  1. MarkV on July 8th, 2008 10:25 am

    I do not agree with the premise of this article, which is “what do the Packers do with Brett?” The Packers have already made that decision– they moved on without him. The real storyline floating out there (not only here but elsewhere) is “how can those in the media make them regret that decision?”

    In my opinion, Brett Favre is doing the Packer organization a huge disservice. At some point, the Packers need to know what their future is. They need to be able to plan ahead, build for the future, create game plans, build on successes, draft to improve (not rebuild), etc. Favre does not allow them to do that. The continuing presence of Brett Favre is only delaying the transition the team MUST make at some point.

    At some point, the Packers must bring up a new QB that will match the age and experience of everyone else on the team. That time is now! It is perfect. The Packers are in a wonderful spot of having been 1 game away from the Super Bowl with a very young team. At this point it is very possible that they would miss the normal “rebuilding mode” a team must usually endure when switching QBs. Even if Aaron Rodgers is not ready to lead, he will have a one year grace period to get acclimated due to the strength of the team around him. And that is an unfair assumption… what if IS ready to lead? Do you have a Super Bowl contender then?

    This is also starting to reflect poorly on Brett himself. It is starting to appear selfish. This is not about the Packers’ decision– it is about Brett. This discussion has not been about “team,”– it is about Brett. It puts the same wear-n-tear on a team in training camp that Ocho Cinco, J.Shockey, etc. put on the team when the focus shifts to one player. This is only a different type of distraction. Making the decision then reneging puts his teammates and the Packer organization in a huge bind. Who do they start planning for? Who should plays be designed for? Which QB should the team start getting accustom too? We have seen how young QBs in the past have turned into busts due to the “you’re our starter, now you’re not” style of decision making. The Cardinals should have made the playoffs last year. Compared to the Browns, they have a better defense, similar running game, and two of the best WRs in the game. But it is the jerking around at the QB spot that cost them.

    The presumption is that Aaron Rodgers is not only that he is not as good as Brett Favre, but that he is not that good at all! But the reality is that no one knows because he has not been given the chance.

    What happens if Brett comes back and the Packers miss the playoffs? How will everyone view this posturing then?

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