QB Brett Favre Likely to Retire From NFL, Minnesota Vikings

It is reported that Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre is calling in it a career after 19 historic seasons in the NFL.

Numerous individuals from within the organization have confirmed that Favre told players and the coaching staff that he still feels the effects of nagging injuries.

Favre has not yet made a public confirmation that he has in fact retired, but the reports are said to be coming from credible sources, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

Favre stamped his name in the NFL by not only setting many franchise records, whether good or bad, but by also setting many of the leagues QB records as well.

However it's that time of year, ladies and gentlemen, the start of a new season and new hopes as NFL teams are well into training camp.

It is also around the same time that Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre starts to ponder if he would like continue playing and stay in the spotlight, or if it's time to hang the cleats up.

It has almost become an annual affair where he drives organizations and their fans bonkers waiting on his final word.

During the 2010 free agency period, it was highly anticipated that Vikings coach Brad Childress would inquire about veteran QB Donovan McNabb who could have easily stepped in for Favre.

I'm not neccesarily comparing the two, but let's face it, as a Minnesota fan looking at the current situation, who would you rather have in as QB: Donovan McNabb or Tarvaris Jackson?

I'm sure there are some fans that are glad McNabb didn't become the Vikings next QB—but there were many that I talked with that did.

The reason for that is obvious, Donovan is a polished veteran and knows how to lead an offense.

Think of him as an on-field coach!

Nonetheless, the glimmer of hope that Favre would return to the Dome in 2010 forced the Vikings front office to skip on every available, quality quarterback.

Instead, pending a trade to bring another veteran in, the Vikings will work with what they already have in Tarvaris Jackson who was the starting QB prior to Favre's arrival.

Regardless of who the Vikings brings in to lead the squad on offense, the passing attack is going to be severely affected in 2010 if Brett does decide to call it quits.

I'm not saying QB Tarvaris Jackson isn't a decent player, in fact he has a 77.9 percent completion percentage, but his sloppy mechanics in 2008 is what cost the Vikings the Wild Card Game that year.

Jackson also only appeared in a total of nine games in 2008!

His 2007 stats tell a more accurate tale of his abilities as he went on to accumulate 1,911 passing yards, completing 171 of his attempted 294 passes—resulting in a passer rating of 70.8 percent.

His awful mechanics resulted in 12 interceptions vs. only nine TDs in 2008; however, the WR core is bolstered now with the additions of Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin.

Not bad, still he has many areas of needed improvement if the Vikings wish to pick up where they left off in 2009.

I think that if the Minnesota Vikings front office had even a splinter of doubt that Favre would return, they should have gone out shopping for one of the many capable QBs on the market.

This should have been done for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, it would act as insurance if Favre did wait to to inform the front office that he was thinking about retirement—again.

Secondly, it would have made a statement, one that needs to be made in the NFL, saying that the front office executives are the individuals in control, not the player or his agent.

Lastly, making yet another statement, it would have sent a message to all players that no matter who they are, the front office will not allow one player to potentially disrupt an extremely productive unit—even if Favre basically turned the team around in one season.

The NFL is a business and with the Favre retirement talks in the air again, if the Vikings don't somehow acquire a more technically sound QB, their 2010 stock could take a nose dive.