Favre Retires

The road to an NFC North title just became that much clearer. After 17 seasons in the NFL Brett Favre has decided to hang up the cleats, at least for now. We have seen this song and dance before. Favre has toyed with this idea the past few offseasons, leaning towards retirement before ultimately deciding to return. However, this time it appears to be official. The gunslinger from Mississippi has certainly left his mark on the league. He has thrown an NFL record 442 touchdown passes, surpassing Dan Marino's previous mark of 420 on a slant pass to Greg Jennings in the Metrodome during the 2007 season. Brett also surpassed the 60,000 yard plateau and was an ironman at QB, starting 237 consecutive games. Most importantly to Packer fans, he restored the glory that had not been seen since the Vince Lombardi era. The Packers hoisted a Superbowl trophy in 1996 and managed only one losing season during #4's tenure. Brett has carved out a place amongst the league's all-time greats and in the hearts of Packer fans. His retirement does ensure no more telecasts where John Madden unzips Favre's football pants, an event that had become a staple of primetime TV. While Madden is on 24/7 suicide watch, Favre will move forward with his post-football career. Best of luck to him in his post-football plans.

Green Bay was set to enter 2008 as the favorites in the NFC North, but the loss of their Hall of Fame quarterback leaves them with a huge hole at the position. Aaron Rodgers is a former 1st Round pick who has spent most of his career holding a clipboard. He flashed some promise in the 2007 season against the Cowboys. With Favre knocked out due to a thumb injury, Rodgers led an inspired comeback effort that fell just short. His success in that game offers hope for Packer Nation, but it is really hard to get a read on his abilities given such a small sample size, especially considering the Cowboys had no game tape or time to prepare for Rodgers. The birth of the Aaron Rodgers era is sure to be one of the bigger storylines in the 2008 NFL season as the Packers move forward without Favre for the first time since 1991.

Rodgers emergence onto the scene also leaves the NFC North quarterback situation in shambles. The Vikings have had well documented issues over the past two seasons, from Brad Johnson's weak-armed throws that went straight into Metrodome turf to Tarvaris Jackson's jump passes that land safely in the arms of the opposition. Detroit has watched Jon Kitna become a turnover machine, all while taking a beating behind a pathetic Lions offensive line. Chicago has had their own issues with the wildly inconsistent Rex Grossman, who has been brought back to the windy city on a one-year deal. It is an ugly sight at the game's most important position for NFC North teams, meaning solid quarterback play from any of the four teams could propel them to a division title. Needless to say, the plot has thickened.