Brett Favre spent his first few days of freedom wild boar hunting.
Teammate Frank Winters thinks that Favre will have no problem finding things to keep him occupied other than football.
Winters suggests "knocking down trees and stuff" on his tractor.
Favre hasn't officially filed his retirement papers yet, but he just thinks that's a formal step, and plans to do it later.
When receiver Donald Driver was asked whether or not Favre would come back for a ceremonial coin toss to start the 2008 NFL season, he laughed.
"He ain't coming back for no coin toss," Driver laughed. "He's going to be a ghost. That's the thing—he has to get away from the game for a little while."
The prospect of a return from retirement, not unlike that of Michael Jordan, is also considered highly unlikely around the Packers camp.
"I don't know," Driver said of Favre's future in football. "It'd be hard to say."
Green Bay Packers president and chief executive, Mark Murphy, a former safety for the Washington Redskins, said retirement is extremely tough to cope with.
"I didn't really miss training camp, didn't really miss the minicamps," Murphy recalled. "But when the games came around in the fall, that's when it really becomes difficult to see your teammates and friends playing. But people have gone through it. And he obviously thought it through. He really knew that it was time for him to step down."
A popular idea in Green Bay, and around the country for that matter, is for Favre to "pull a Tiki." That is, return to the NFL via a television network.
Winters disagrees: "I really don't think he'll really get into that stuff right now," said Winters of Favre as a commentator. "Maybe a few years from now. Who knows?"
When I look at some of the comments on ESPN, it gives me the impression that Packers fans think Favre is gone too:
"I have a funny feeling that the next time we see Favre it will be when he is getting inducted into the Hall of Fame!" -TrackguyRH
"Brett is still a country boy. Now he gets to be the original Brett Favre every day for the rest of his life." -jdebose004
"I absolutely cannot see Brett Favre enjoying a commentating job even in a few years." -flaxman0
Andrew Kneeland writes for Bleacher Report. You can view all his articles here.
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7 months ago
As a much older retired person who lives in the country with my retired husband I say: Welcome to the good life Brett. Hope you enjoy the simple life as much as we do.
7 months ago
I understand missing the games, but you'd have to call it an addiction if you can't walk away when it's time. Guys that make comebacks usually retire prematurely, but there has been talk of Favre calling it quits for a couple years now, so I think he's really thought it through. Good article, keep it up.
from 7 months ago
Thank you. I agree. Favre won't come back...except for maybe a coin toss.
7 months ago
Good read, Andrew. I 'll add one more to the "he's done" list and that includes TV work. I assume he can afford not to do it.
But speaking of being able to afford things, he should get around to filing those retirement papers some time soon. I believe that the Packers have some cap money that will be tied up until he does so.
7 months ago
Did you see Brett on the NFL Network when he picked up his FedEx Player of the Year Award? The kibitizing(?) and fun he had with Eisen, Deion and Mooch was hilarious. I coulda watched them talk for another 30 minutes + and they basically talked about nothing. I'd be very surprised if Brett EVER did any commentating on a regular basis - special reports and guest visits, yah.
One of his lineman once said (this was a few years ago when they were playing together) that, not counting Packer fans like myself, the NFL and its fans won't fully appreciate Favre until after he retires.
I sort of a agree. For all you Favre fans out there, check this out from my blog:
http://jeffircink.blogspot.com/2008/03/dont-be-sad-because-it-is-overbe-happy_10.html
from 7 months ago
Sometimes I find myself hooked to the horrible banter between those guys on CBS before games. Why? I have NO idea! They're not talking about anything AT ALL, and I'm still watching intently.
I like the quote you gave in your blog, and the quote you gave in your comment. Thanks!
7 months ago
I don't foresee Brett coming back. If he wanted to keep playing, he would have never retired.
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