Brett Favre Signs With Minnesota Vikings
Vikings Hope Favre Can Bring Minnesota Its First Super Bowl Title
Aug 18, 2009
Brett Favre once again could not stay away from Football. He has "changed his mind" once again and signed a 2 year, $25 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings. This gives him a chance to play the Green Bay Packers twice a year. This also brings to light several issues regarding his character, whether it is a good move for the Vikings, and what it means for his legacy.
Brett Favre Has Acted Selfishly The Past Two Years
Last off-season Brett Favre decided to retire from Football. The Packers, naturally moved on and named Aaron Rogers the starter for the upcoming season. A couple of months later, though, he decided he wanted to come back and take Rogers job away from him. The Packers justifiably said "No" and sent him packing, no pun intended.
He would go to the Jets and many players on the team would accuse him of being aloof and acting like a diva. On the field, he also played selfishly, trying to make things happen when there was nothing there and leading the league in interceptions.
He told the Jets that he was going to retire so that they would release him. All along this was a ploy to play in Minnesota, where he wanted to go along. A few weeks ago, he said he wasn't coming back. This declaration caused Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, the two Vikings Quarterbacks, to get their hopes up, thinking that they would have a chance to start. Yesterday he decided he would take the job away from these two guys. Not to mention the fact that he decided to skip all the off-season activities and first few weeks of training camp.
Why The Brett Favre Signing May Work
Brett Favre is certainly an upgrade over the two Quarterbacks the Vikings had. Jackson has struggled as the starter for the Vikings and Rosefels has never started on a winning team. Favre brings with him years of experience and a culture of winning. He is also reliable, having never missed a start in his career. Favre also brings a familiarity with the offense that the Vikings play to run. He also may have a little more motivation this year, playing in the same division with the Green Bay Packers.
Why The Brett Favre Signing Might Not Work
One reason this move might not work is Favre's age. He is 39 and only one Quarterback (Phil Simms) has taken his team to the playoffs at such an advanced age. Father time catches up with everyone. Another reason is his health. He apparently has a tear in his rotator cuff, so his arm may not be 100%. The biggest reason it may not work is Favre's mentality. The Vikings are a strong defensive team and a good running team, so they need a Quarterback who is happy to just manage the game and not take to many chances. Favre is the complete antithesis of that. He is a gun-slinger who loves to chuck it all over the field. Last year he threw many balls up for grabs into double and triple coverage. That would be devastating on this Vikings team.
Brett Favre's Legacy
Brett Favre is a Super Bowl Champion and a three time league MVP. He holds many NFL records including most touchdowns, most passing yards, and most consecutive starts. No one can take those accomplishments away from him. If he wins a Super Bowl with the Vikings it will only enhance his legend. If it doesn't work out, though, the lasting memory of Favre will be of a guy who acted very selfishly at the end of his career and hung on way too long. Because of the way he has acted, it is doubtful too many people outside of Minnesota will be rooting for Brett Favre this season.
