Brett Favre and the New York Jets

It seems like it was just a few short months ago when Brett Favre sat behind a table and held a press conference to announce his retirement from the NFL – wanting to get out while he was still playing at his peak. Just as that choice was upsetting to a large number of football fans in general and to Green Bay Packers fans in particular, it would appear that Brett Favre was not entirely thrilled with the choice either.

In the weeks leading up to this year’s training camp, the rumblings started and then it was announced: Brett Favre was coming back into the game of football. While there were a number of challenges – including Brett Favre wanting to come back in as a starter although the Packers had a new quarterback – it looked for a while like everything was going to work out. When it didn’t, the NFL and agents, coaches and Brett Favre himself all started looking into other options that might be available.

Enter the New York Jets – a team that, during his career with the Packers, Favre managed to defeat only once in four games. The more that it became clear that Favre and the Packers weren’t going to be able to make it work, the more interested that the New York Jets became and the harder that they began to push to bring him to the team. Ultimately, the New York Jets gave the Packers a fourth round draft pick that will increase in value based on Brett Favre’s performance in exchange.

Rather than simply being the fourth round pick, the deal stipulates that if Brett Favre takes half of the total snaps while acting as the New York Jets QB, it will become a third round draft pick. If Favre’s performance includes being on the receiving end of more than 70% of the snaps and the New York Jets make it to the playoffs, the pick will happen in round two. If the percentage climbs over eighty and the Jets make it to the Superbowl, the Packers will have received a first round draft pick in 2009.

There are plenty of reasons why the move of Brett Favre to the New York Jets is something that’s being talked up. First, Favre’s three time MVP status helps to boost the reputation of the Jets – as well as promises to put a better team on the field for New York throughout the season. It’s likely because of this that, during the pre-season, Brett Favre was made team captain by the rest of the New York Jets players and why he will be the one leading the Jets into the new NFL season.

Of course, only time will tell whether or not the Packers are happy with their choice to go with Aaron Rodgers as QB and whether or not the New York Jets keep feeling great about picking up Brett Favre; but then, it’s those levels of speculation that keep NFL fans interested and ready to take in all of the action this season.