Brett Favre, the newly minted Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, played one meaningless (to him) season with the New York Jets.
There was an undoubted moment of jubilation for all New York Jets fans eight seasons ago. It came during Week 12 when Eric Mangini’s squad handled the best team in the league, the 10-1 Tennessee Titans, by the final of 34-13.New York moved to 8-3 on the season and the acquisition of the great Brett Favre was suddenly looking incredibly phenomenal.
This was the goal, obviously, when Mike Tannenbaum and Woody Johnson pulled the trigger on the move to acquire the disgruntled (or retired) Green Bay Packers legend. Mr. T knew what Jets history looked like. Even with a Chad Pennington employed, the organization hadn’t known the feeling of a franchise QB since the early 1970s.
Despite the sparkling 8-3 record turning into a disastrous 9-7 to finish the career of Mangini as Jets boss, the gamble was still a solid one.
Good gamble or not, don’t think just because the man was a Jet that he’s owed any form of repayment. Brett Favre could care less about his one season with the Jets. So, in return, “Why should Jets fans care about Brett Favre or that 2008 season?”
On the eve of the 2016 Hall of Fame Game featuring the Packers and Indianapolis Colts, Favre has now officially been enrished into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Emotions are running high during Favre’s speech. Pure Passion.#PFHOF16https://t.co/DHNpGRwEXg
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) August 7, 2016
The man was simply a flyby solution – one that both parties, especially Favre, knew was only temporary.
Due to the fact Green Bay management preferred young Aaron Rodgers to push the elder statesman out, Favre classically held ill will towards the organization. New York was simply a temporary solution on his way to Minnesota and ultimately back to the NFC North.
Favre never wanted to come to the Jets. He simply had to. The Packers would never have traded his rights within the division. Don’t lose sight of that.
Respect him for his play. Love him for his carefree and childlike enthusiasm. But please, do not respect what he did with or for the New York Jets.
Not only did a very talented team (that Rex Ryan inherited the following season) finish 1-4 in 2008, but he decided to play through a serious injury while keeping his iron man streak intact.
It was a solid and necessary gamble the green and white took eight seasons ago, but because Favre could care less about the Jets (as his actions certainly told that story), fans shouldn’t over hype Favre’s lone season in New Jersey.
That would simply be a disgrace.
