Question of the Week: Is Brett Favre Really Hanging It Up for Good?

Have we really come to the end of the Brett Favre era in professional football? Or will the unpredictable, 40-year-old quarterback make "one more" run at glory?

Favre contacted his agent James Cook on Wednesday and told him to inform the Jets staff that he would not be returning next season.

Where have we heard that before?

Let's wind the clocks back a year. Around this time last season, Brett Favre held an emotional press conference that involved a resignation from football and enough tears to fill up an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

He was finally done with football, that is, until he reported to Packers camp in July expecting the Packers' staff to hand him the starting job.

Unfortunately for the aging Favre, coach Mike McCarthy and staff were sold on the young Aaron Rogers, who patiently waited for four seasons behind Favre.

A series of tense negotiations ensued, but Favre was left with the notion of having to play second fiddle behind Rogers.

Feeling rejected and betrayed by the team he spent 16 seasons with, Favre was traded to the New York Jets.

Favre arrived in camp, but was already about two weeks behind schedule in learning the Jet offensive package, which could very well explain why he struggled down the stretch.

It seemed for awhile that maybe Favre was truly going to prove the Packers organization and the country wrong in their criticism of his return to the game. He had the Jets atop the AFC East for a few weeks. 

Then the wheels came off.

After the victories in New England and Tennessee, the Jets were considered potentially the best team in the AFC and a legitimate Super Bowl contender. But the Jets failed badly in December, losing four of their final five games. In the final five games, Favre threw nine interceptions and only two touchdown passes.

He finished the season with 22 touchdowns and a league-high 22 interceptions.  What was even more unnerving was the fact the Jets blew their playoff chances in the final five games, and although Favre isn't solely to blame, his mediocre play didn't help matters.

Ok, come back to the present.

We now see the same situation formulating yet again.  The Jets had already begun discussing their QB options for 2009 well before Favre announced his retirement.  Former second round pick, Kellen Clemens, seems to be the guy the Jets will turn to this off season.

As for Favre, the ball is back in his court, though it may have been forcefully put there by the Jets organization.

Favre is no longer the man he once was. He just isn't.

His shoulder caused him a great deal of pain the final few games of the season and it will probably need surgery this offseason. His age doesn't help as it gets harder and harder to recover from serious injuries the older you get.

On top of it all, his own teammates in New York began to resent him, questioning his ability as the team began to falter.

In his defense, everyone on that Jets team gave up. Favre played remarkably well early on, but the whole machine came to a halt because the team became complacent with the surprising amount of media coverage they were receiving after some high profile wins.

When it's all said and done, I believe Favre will stay true to his word and let football go. It's time.

The hardest thing in professional sports is saying goodbye. He's done it three times.  But i don't think he is the drama king everyone claims he is, but instead, surrounded by the drama.

Yes, he put on a sappy display at last year's press conference. Yes, for a time he was in the news more than the presidential nominees. It was all because he loves this game, though he picked some interesting methods to show it.

Brett Favre is a living legend, a pioneer of the modern game of football. He transcends greatness. There is no doubt he will be dearly missed.

And so ends the epic career of Brett Favre, and this time, he's going out the way he should; humble and without any regrets.