Brett Favre: 4 Ways He Could Actually Help out an NFL Team in 2011

After last season, Brett Favre sat before the media at a postseason press conference and announced that he was retiring from the game of football. He assured us that this was the end and he was done for good.

But you knew it was only a matter of time.

Last week, a report surfaced that the Eagles had been having internal discussions about bringing in the gunslinger to be a backup to Michael Vick. With all their uncertainty under center, the Dolphins have also been rumored to have interest.

It might be an unpopular or unorthodox opinion, but I think Favre still has value for an NFL team. Things went downhill on him pretty quickly last year, but if used properly, he still has enough left in the tank to be a solid starter for someone.

In particular, I have four ways he can help a quarterback-starved team right away.

Experience

No other available quarterback brings near the amount of experience to draw from. Favre has seen and done it all in his career, and there is nothing that could happen that would catch him off-guard.

For a younger team on the verge of contending, that experience would be invaluable. When it gets late in the season, the younger players on the team need someone to look to that can let them know that it's going to be alright. That guy is Favre.

All too often, a team's playoff hopes are ruined by shaky quarterback play that comes along with uncertainty and a lack of confidence. If there are two things Favre is, it's certain of his place and confident in his abilities.

An Able Arm

You can criticize a number of things when it comes to Favre. You can say that he is delusional when it comes to his abilities, you can say that he refuses to believe there are throws he can't make and you can say that his decision-making (on and off the field) is questionable.

What you can't call into question is his arm strength. Favre still has a better arm than many of the starting quarterbacks in the league.

Put on a team with a number of downfield threats, Favre could have some success. You can't expect him to thread needles between defenders or put the ball into a receiver's numbers on the run, but he can still air it out to an open receiver down the sideline.

A Morale Boost

Favre received a lot of heat for his off-field scandal involving sideline reporter Jenn Sterger, but you wouldn't know it if you asked his former teammates and friends in the game.

It's rare to find a teammate of Favre's that has a single negative thing to say about him. He demands respect in the locker room, and he gets it, because he treats his teammates with respect and he has a good time with them.

It seems trivial, but the value to having someone to help keep everyone loose during the long NFL calendar cannot be overstated.  In any given season, tempers will flare, players will get frustrated and quarrels within the team will happen.

It's in those moments that a player like Favre comes in handy. Favre knows how to handle the different personalities in the locker room, and he know just what to say to get everyone back on the same page.

A Winning Attitude

For better or worse, Favre still thinks he has a place among the best quarterbacks in the league. Most of the time, this works against his team as he tries to do more than he can, but in some respects, it can be a positive.

If teammates see how much Favre believes in himself and the team, it can be contagious.

Players, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, take their cue from the quarterback. If they see Favre's fire to win, they simply can't help but follow his lead.