NFL Free Agency: Latest Brett Favre Rumors from Around the Web

What sort of offseason would it be without a Brett Favre watch?  Well, whether it’s mere habit or a grasping at normalcy for this football-less summer, Brett Favre Watch 2011 is underway. 

Of course, Favre himself doesn’t seem to have had anything to do with the rumors.  He hasn’t stated that he’s thinking about a return.  No gang of Minnesota teammates has staged an intervention at his Mississippi home. 

Plus, he actually filed the paperwork all the way back in January.

Still, people are talking.  Here’s what some are saying.

How It All Started

Former Cowboy’s VP and current NFL.com senior analyst got the ball rolling by suggesting Favre might be interested in a return during an NFL.com live chat.

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“I do think Favre would be interested in talking to a team about returning. But I don’t see a team out there right now that would bring him back as a starter.”

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Somehow, the last half of that quote, and a subsequent statement in which Brandt refers to Favre as a “descending quarterback” hasn’t kept people from dissecting every possibility.

How It Really All Started

Maybe, though, Brandt isn’t to blame for putting Favre back into our daily news.  Back in April, before the draft, folks speculated that Favre might be a good mentor for Cam Newton.  Then in May, bloggers capitalized on Favre’s mention of a coaching possibility in his own future. 

Everyone likes to throw around Favre’s involvement in getting Newton to sign with his agent Bus Cook early in the offseason.

So it looks as the Favre Watch spark has long been there, Brandt was just the catalyst.

Teams That Might Be Interested

Kevin Roberts of nflsoup.com took some time to gather a list of teams who may show interest in Favre if he un-re-retires.  He mostly includes the usual suspects of this offseason’s quarterback rumors (meaning most of the NFC West). 

Roberts also speculates the possibility of Dan Snyder’s star-lust landing Favre in Washington and Chad Henne’s uninspiring 2010 performance making room for Favre to start in Miami.

Minnesota, Tennessee, and Carolina are all included here, too under the stop-gap clause of that same old rookie QB argument.

Mike Florio Speaks Up

Mike Florio of NBC’s Pro Football Talk went a little more in depth on the possibility of a Favre return.  He cites Brandt’s statement as not outlandish and presents the possibility of Favre playing a deus ex machina role for a team who loses their starting quarterback in some tragedy late in the season or as a fail-safe given a shortened NFL season or one that completely lacks training camp or even pre-season games.

From there Florio goes on to discuss the teams that might show interest from the outset.  He, of course, sites the Browns and Favre’s relationship to Holmgren and mentions again  the chance that Favre could end up a mentor to rookie Cam Newton.

He also mentions NFC West teams Arizona and Seattle, citing their current quarterback woes.

Favre to Philly

Somewhere, somehow during all this an untraditional rumor cropped up. 

Some who are speculating have landed Favre in Philadelphia as the backup to Michael Vick.  Not many others are entertaining the notion of Favre playing second fiddle to anyone, but somehow Vick makes sense?

Those who are saying so cite Favre’s healthy throwing arm, his knowledge of the west coast offense and his relationship to Andy Reid.  They’re saying that the Eagles aren’t ready to give the reigns to current third-stringer Mike Kafka in the event of an injury to Vick.

Blogger Jeanne Sager mentioned GQ’s ranking of Philly fans as the meanest in America and started compiling a list of reasons Favre’s negative reputation stands up to Vick’s.

This rumor is an enormous reach in every way.

Favre's Resilience

This NFL Network video addresses Favre’s age and declining resilience. 

Last season, injuries forced Favre to break his impressive record of 297 consecutive NFL starts (that’s over 18 full seasons).  The missed start is more than noteworthy and as the video mentions, clearly indicative of how another Favre comeback would end.

What People Close to Favre Are Saying

There has yet to emerge any real substance to these rumors, and Favre himself has stayed quiet. 

When Minnesota Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell was asked about Favre by FoxSportsNorth.com’s Ann Carroll, he could say only how happy Favre is:

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“He is doing great; his family is doing great. He is really excited about not having any questions about whether he is coming back or not, there is no doubt. He is really doing well.”

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Longwell re-iterated the same in an interview with 1500ESPN.com and even speculated that he’ll have a season that is less about being Favre’s spokesperson and more about playing his own game:

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"Someone may actually be concerned about me kicking a ball instead of who I know."

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Favre’s brother Scott has gone on record to say there’s a less than one percent chance that Brett will return to the NFL and Favre’s mother has said she believes he’s “crazy if he does [return to the NFL].”

So who exactly thinks the 41-year-old quarterback is making a comeback?