The Green Bay Packers are still committed to retiring Brett Favre’s No. 4 jersey. Just not quite yet.
Packers president Mark Murphy spoke about retiring Favre’s number Saturday, during the team’s annual Fan Fest celebration.
“Obviously we will do it,” Murphy said, according to the Green Bay Press Gazette. “We’ve made that commitment. He deserves to have his number retired. I just think both sides need some time. Quite honestly, from a practical standpoint, we’ve had to cancel one retirement ceremony already. I think it’s smart to make sure he is retired rather than going through a situation like that again.”
When Favre retired (for the second consecutive year) in February, he said he would be willing to come back to Green Bay at the appropriate time – an obvious reflection of his lingering butt hurt attitude towards the Green Bay Packers for not giving him exactly what he wanted.
And all kidding aside about Favre possibly changing his mind about retirement again, I can’t see him coming back to town for at least another season (or maybe even as long as Ted Thompson is GM).
Is Brett the kind of guy to forgive and forget? Is Thompson the kind of guy to find the humility to patch things up?
These are the questions.
Meanwhile, ESPN reported that the multi-million dollar marketing deal the Packers offered Favre when he retired the first time, is still open for discussion.
“I think we’ll determine that with time,” Murphy said, according to ESPN. “And obviously it can’t just be us, it’s got to be him. Both sides will look at it. But I think now is not the right time to have those discussions.”
While Favre hopefully won’t be a story for a while, he will always be a Packer, something Murphy spoke to on Saturday.
“He’ll be a member of our family long-term,” Murphy said, according to ESPN. “Most players go through a period of time and I think when you’re away from it for a while, I think it’ll be meaningful for him and for us when he does come back.”
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3 Comments
It would be too soon to retire the number. I would suggest waiting a couple of years-perhaps when he enters the Hall of Fame. By then the bad memories should fade.
I wish Favre the best-I always did. I am one of those who believe the Packers did the right thing then and now.
I’m old enough to remember the glory days of the Packers with Bart Starr and company and also your long dry spell of nothingness following his and Lombardi’s departure. You had nothing until Brett arrived on the scene and put you back on the map for many years with less to work with than most teams with larger budgets. You can dis him all you want, but remember, his legacy is not just his–without him you were dead in the water. As for breaking his records–that’s why records exist. We’ll see what Packer will last long enough to break them.