Brett Favre Should Take a Tip from Warren Moon

One played in one of the most exciting offenses in league history and another was perhaps one of the most exciting players in league history.

One player has already been enshrined in the Hall of Fame, another a sure thing to go in on the first ballot when he hangs up his pads. Problem is, he can’t go in on that ballot if he doesn’t retire.

Warren Moon was one of the best NFL quarterbacks of all time. Agree with me or not, all of those years in the run-and-shoot offense were a joy to watch as a fan, but excruciating at times watching Moon get blindsided like a piñata at El Guapo’s 33rd (40th) birthday celebration.

After leaving the Washington Huskies, Moon went undrafted in the NFL Draft, many believing it was due to his refusal to change positions. He packed up and went north of the border where he enjoyed great success with the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos winning 5 consecutive Grey Cups.

In 1984, he eventually made his way to the NFL with the Houston Oilers and would set a franchise record for passing yards in his first season. Thanks to the pass happy Run-and-Shoot offense and very little run support early on in his career(see: Lorenzo White), Moon would go to 9 Pro Bowls  over his 17 years in the league.

Counting his five years in Canada and 17 years in the NFL, Moon played professional football for 22 years. More than half his life at the time he retired in 2000 at age 43.

Lacing them up, every year, for nearly a quarter of a century. His body, beaten down thanks to the pass-happy offenses he played in throughout his career. Moon continued to play on as the years rolled by, no doubt contemplating retirement in his mind but nonetheless keeping quiet about it until he knew for sure following his last season in 2000.

Now to Mr. Brett Lorenzo Favre.

Drafted by the Falcons 1991 and later traded to Green Bay after just one year in the league, Favre has always managed to make both fans and coaches alike feel as if they’re were riding the “Tower of Terror” at MGM. 

Favre made a living making throws that made fans go “Holy Crap!” that were usually followed by throws that made fans go…well…”Crap!”

The NFL’s all-time leader in TD passes and INTs, Favre would go to two straight Super Bowls winning his only title in 1997 over New England. Favre would lose the next season against Denver. 

Over the next seven seasons, Favre would enjoy great success in the league but never made it to another championship game. Going along, throwing TD after TD and pick after pick, he would have an up and down time, but was no doubt still enjoying the game.
But in 2003, everything changed.

Life off the field would begin to make Brett wonder about life on the field. His father would die suddenly in December of 2003. The day after he died, Favre’s Packers went on to pummel the Oakland Raiders on Monday night.

Favre would have the game of his life., throwing for 399 yards and four TDs in the first half.  Just months later, in 2004, his wife Deanna was diagnosed with breast cancer.

That would mark the beginning of the QB’s offseason retirement dance.

I for one am a fan of Brett Favre. Being from the Gulf Coast myself, I’ve always found myself rooting for him. I have also dealt with personal issues that have made their way into my professional life. So in no way, am I coming down on him for what he endured during that stretch of his life. I completely and totally understand.

Where I take issue is with how long he’s dragged this on.

He chose to come back for the 2005 season where he would have one of the worse seasons of his career, throwing a league-high 29 interceptions and finishing with a 70.9 QB rating. The retirement talk began to surface again, but he would announce his intentions to play the 2006 season.

The season would see the gun-slinger set major NFL mile stones including passing Dan Marino for most touchdown passes and becoming the first player to complete 5,000 passes in his career.

The following season would see the Packers go 13-3 and get within one bad, “oh crap” throw from facing New England in the Super Bowl. They would go on to lose to the Giants and that looked like it would be it for the man who brought us so much excitement for nearly two decades.

That following March, Favre  would hold a tearful and touching press conference announcing his retirement. That was supposed to be it…finally.

But it turned out, that was only “it” for about four months as the QB would have a change of heart and contacted the Packers about a possible return. Sadly for Brett, by this time, the team had already made a commitment to his successor, Aaron Rodgers.

And this got very ugly, very quickly. Allegations of tampering against the Minnesota Vikings, a team whom Favre had already expressed interest in. Both sides taking shots at each other in the media., the media taking shots at both sides and fans choosing sides. All the while, poor Rodgers was probably wondering what he’d gotten himself into.

A few weeks before the season began, and thankfully, both sides decided to end this with Favre agreeing to a trade to the New York Jets. 

That season saw Favre get out to a fast start leading the Jets to an 8-3 record before suffering a shoulder injury (Madden Cover Curse?), the first major injury of his career. They would finish 1-4 and miss the playoffs. Choosing not to have surgery on his injured shoulder, Favre would retire, again.

Here we go again.

Late, last month, Favre was rumored to be contemplating another comeback. No official word, just  little tidbits of information trickling out of the rumor mills.

“Favre speaks with the Vikings about a possible comeback.”
“Favre has surgery to prepare injured shoulder.”
“Former NFL QB works out with high school WR’s”
“Favre family books hotel rooms for week of game when Viking play the Packers.”

Viking players talking to reporters, claiming they don’t know what’s going to happen at the QB position. Coach Brad Childress sending messages to Favre through the media. It just keeps going and going. 

Brett, if I can speak for the league, the media and the fans, if you want to keep playing,  play. There’s no shame in playing until you can’t anymore. Just ask Warren Moon.