Brett Favre Retires: A Look at the Winners and Losers

The news that Brett Favre will retire sent reverberations around the National Football League. Favre's retirement from the league not only affects his roster, but has its tentacles on many facets of the game, the competition, the fans, and much more.

There are a number of individuals and teams that will enjoy the fruits of Brett Favre leaving while the Vikings and their followers get the bitter pill.  In all, there are a bunch of winners and losers resulting from Brett Favre retiring.  Look inside to see who and what falls into which category.

Winner: Tarvaris Jackson

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN - AUGUST 21: Quarterback Tavaris Jackson #7 of the Minnesota Vikings drops back to pass the football against the Kansas City Chiefs at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on August 21, 2009 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Chie

The guy that originally thought he'd quarterback the Vikings at this time one year ago will finally get his shot in 2010, or at least that's the expectation.

The Favre Factor is officially gone from Tarvaris Jackson's career. Now the fifth-year quarterback who has thrown for 3,643 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions in his career will assume the starting job he has long desired.

Loser: Brad Childress

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NEW ORLEANS - JANUARY 24: Head coach Brad Childress of the Minnesota Vikings reacts against the New Orleans Saints during the NFC Championship Game at the Louisiana Superdome on January 24, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty I

The Vikings Head Coach rode Brett Favre's coattails to a 12-4 record and a berth in the NFC Championship Game last season.  Now Childress will have to find a way to live up to the high expectations levied upon Minnesota with Jackson.

Luckily for the fifth-year head coach, there is a positive track record with Jackson, who guided the Vikings to a 10-6 record and playoff appearance in 2008.  But the team simply will not be the same without No. 4 under center. Can Childress make the proper adjustments?

Winner: Aaron Rodgers

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 10: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers drops back to pass against the Arizona Cardinals during the 2010 NFC wild-card playoff game at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 10, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. (Ph

Favre's retirement should finally untie that gray-bearded albatross around the neck of Aaron Rodgers. Not that the Green Bay QB hadn't already established himself as one of the best signal callers in the NFC, but now Rodgers' performances will no longer be measured against Favre's in Minnesota, and Packers-Vikings match-ups will no longer be lorded over.

Rodgers can breathe easier now that he is in a post-Favre NFL (or so it appears as of today).

Losers: Percy Harvin/Sidney Rice

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MINNEAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 15: Sidney Rice #18 of the Minnesota Vikings congratulates teammate Percy Harvin #12 after Harvin made a 40 yard run in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions on November 15, 2009 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis

The young, very talented duo of wide receivers saw their careers take off with Favre throwing the passes.  They both set career highs in production and became feared as one of the best wide receiver tandems in the league.  Without Favre that is likely to change.

Surely the talent will still be there, but it will not be the same without Favre's accuracy. The pair must readjust to Jackson throwing the passes with the understanding that their production has no place to go but down.

Winner: Green Bay Packers

Packers General Manager Ted Thompson can finally put the ghost of Brett Favre to bed.  No longer does Thompson or anyone else in the Packers' brass need to hear about or watch Brett Favre lead the rival Vikings to a divisional crown (or worse).

Though Favre was no longer a cheesehead, his presence still hung around the Packers franchise, and the more he produced the more visible it became. Now the Packers can put all the ill will and aggravation behind them, and put the Brett Favre storyline to bed.

Loser: Adrian Peterson

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CHICAGO - DECEMBER 28: Adrian Peterson #28 of the Minnesota Vikings runs against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 28, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Vikings 36-30 in overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The Vikings star running back is already a workhorse, but at least he got to take an easy lap once in a while with Favre on the field.

Now, however, Tarvaris Jackson is under center and that means Minnesota will likely rely on the ground game even more. Combine that with the loss of Chester Taylor in the off-season and question marks behind Peterson and "All-Day" will very much earn his nickname in 2010. 

The impact on running backs is growing exponentially in today's NFL. The Vikings need to ensure Peterson is not overworked.

Winner: NFC North

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 10: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers throws a pass against the Arizona Cardinals during the 2010 NFC wild-card playoff game at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 10, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo b

The Packers were already going to give the Vikings a run for their money in 2010, yet Favre's retirement has to give the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions a breathe of renewed confidence as they rebuild their teams.

The Lions may turn out to be something of a surprise in 2010 while the Bears continue to organize their offense. Either way, greater uncertainty in Minnesota is nothing but a good thing for the Lions and the Bears. Meanwhile, Favre's exit means the Packers are the unquestioned divisional favorite heading into the season.

Loser: Vikings Season-Ticket Holders

All those thousands of Vikings fans preparing to see their team overcome last season's bitter loss in the NFC Championship Game will now have to recalibrate their expectations.

Instead of thinking of their team as a favorite in the NFC, Vikings fans and season ticket holders will instead walk into the Metrodome completely unsure of what they'll get from their quarterback on a weekly basis. Instead of watching the "ole gunslinger" toss it around the dome, they'll hold their breath on every drive.

That is never a settling feeling for any team or its fans.

Winners: Packers Fans

Never again (they hope) will Packers fans have to watch their all-time quarterback outdo their team or make a Super Bowl run.  Judas is finished in the NFL and with that, the chance that Favre could lead the Vikings to a place the Packers haven't been in 14 years.

Losers: Packers Fans

Yes Packers fans are winners and losers.  The losers are the cross-section of Packers fans who currently love to hate Favre. They relish it. Nothing makes them happier than to dress up in their Green Bay Favre jersey with the No. 4 blacked out while holding up signs denouncing their legendary quarterback who they loved for the better part of two decades.

What will they do with no Brett Favre in their lives?

Winners: NFL Fans

Yes those millions of other NFL fans around the league take home a victory with Favre's retirement for the simple fact that they will no longer be subject to around-the-clock Favre news.  No more Favre-decided subject lines on ESPN's scroll. No more headlines of "will he or won't he". No more Sports Illustrated covers. No more reporter drooling. No more. 

The NFL has really needed to move on from all this Brett Favre commotion and it finally has that opportunity.

Loser: ESPN

What will ESPN do in the month of August if Rachel Nichols and/or Ed Werder cannot camp out on Brett Favre's Mississippi front lawn? With nothing but baseball highlights and Adam Schefter live from his bus tour, how will ESPN fill the other 25 minutes of every Sportscenter it usually dedicated to Favre in August?

Favre was a train wreck story that people could not help themselves from tuning into. In some cases, the more fans hated, the more they watched.  That now flies out the window for the Worldwide Leader.

Winners: Mississippi High School Football Players

Now that Favre will reportedly not suit up for the Vikings this season, he has all the time in the world to throw out-routes to high school football players in his home town. The famous storyline for Favre over the last few summers is how he could be found throwing balls to high school players.

But is it possible even high school players could have enough of Favre showing up?

Losers: Vikings Front Office

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf and his front office certainly counted on Brett Favre getting them not only one more year of jersey sales and other merchandise and marketing opportunities, but additional home playoff games which is like striking gold in the NFL.

The marketing campaigns and jersey sales now all go out the window while the idea of additional home playoff games is a tenuous belief at best.  Favre is immensely important for the business side of operations.  The Vikings front office no longer gets to take advantage of that.

Winners: Advertisers Everywhere

Brett Favre has wanted to remain in the public eye whenever he can. What other reason would there be for his seemingly endless attention-grabbing behavior over the last few summers?

Think that will change after his career? Favre will still want to remain in the public eye and that may mean hocking everything under the sun. Can't you see a 65-year-old Favre doing Fixodent commercials?

Loser: John Madden

Poor John Madden.  What will he do without Brett Favre in the NFL? Sure, the long time broadcaster and former coach retired from the business, but this is a guy who used Brett Favre's name as a verb! Many NFL fans thought they'd never see a day with a Favre-less NFL.  But how will the news of Favre's retirement be welcomed by the biggest Favre cheerleader off all?

(Darn it, I just went John Madden on you all...)