For 16 years, Brett Favre was the face of the Green Bay Packers before an unretirement led to him being shipped out in what all amounted to an ugly sports divorce. He went and chased massage therapists and sideline reporters (allegedly) during a lackluster year with the Jets. And then he did age-defying things his first year in Minnesota, followed by a year of doing age-obliging things.
But it was during those years away from Green Bay, especially the years with the conference-rival Vikings, that Favre fell out of Packers fans’ good graces. The lack of compliments for Aaron Rodgers and also the thinly veiled shots directed at his successor probably didn’t help Favre’s standing either.
However, now it seems Favre is working on mending fences. That starts by paying Rodgers those compliments Favre seemed so unwilling to give in the first place.
“Aaron Rodgers, I knew when I left, this guy has all the tools,” Favre said in an interview with NFL Network. “He can beat you with his feet. He’s got a great arm, extremely accurate, handles the cast around him perfect. I think that’s the key sometimes. I think that’s what (Tom) Brady has done. Regardless of who you put out there, he’s good. That to me is the mark of a good quarterback.”
Granted, it’s not much. But, if Favre’s intentions are truly to smooth over a damaged relationship with the Packers, comparing Rodgers to Tom Brady isn’t a bad place to start. Favre, whether Packers fans like it or not, is going to return to Lambeau when his number is retired by the team. It’s inevitable. He might not return to the level of popularity he had when he was leading the team to Super Bowls, but it’s hard imagining cheese heads staying mad at Favre forever and booing him at his own number retirement ceremony. One day Packers fans are going to look back at these anti-Favre years and laugh.
