Brett Fah-vruh A Panther? Give Me A Break!!
By John White
I’m not saying that I consider Pro Football Talk a road map. I don’t see them as a news organization that I trust above all others. What I will say is that they are reporting something today that, if true, could be absolutely enormous.
They’re a cute little website but it seems to me that they’re just hungry for some attention.
They report that Brett Favre privately wants to play for the Carolina Panthers.
Agent Bus Cook has been yapping a lot over the past several months regarding the future of his star client, Brett Favre.
Most recently, we heard that Cook had been telling people that Brett still wants to play. (Two days later, it was widely reported that Brett is telling people that Brett still wants to play.)
We’re now hearing that Cook is privately saying that Favre wants to play for the . . . . drum roll, please . . . oh, wait, it’s in the headline . . .Carolina Panthers.
I’m sorry, Mike Florio, I don’t believe this story. There are a number of reasons not to.
First, Brett Favre is retired – for now. If he wants to come out of retirement, and wants to play somewhere other than Green Bay, his agent is going to start name dropping just like this just to stir the pot. It’s all a game to Bus Cook right now. He’s just trying to position his client for a possible comeback.
Second, I don’t think he would see any playing time in Carolina. At least I don’t think he would start from day one. If that happened, where would his precious consecutive game streak be?
Third, Jake Delhomme is the starter. Any coach who would bring in a guy at the eleventh hour to take the spot is playing with fire. The delicate chemistry in the locker room would be destroyed. The team would likely become split between the two quarterbacks. But that didn’t stop Florio (the, ah, hem, genius who contributes to the Sporting News) from going further with the garbage he’s spewing.
We don’t know why Favre is eyeing Carolina. Maybe he thinks that it’s the best place for him to step in as the starter, notwithstanding the presence of Jake Delhomme, and have a chance to win. Or maybe Favre wants to play for a time that’s fairly close to his home in Mississippi — and that will play three division road games in that same general area as well.
Beyond the geography and a roster with the talent to compete in a wide-open NFC, Favre has no strong connections to the coaching staff. Favre never has been in the same organization as head coach John Fox.
That said, the quarterbacks coach, Mike McCoy, was on the Packers’ practice squad in 1995.
Whether Favre plays again and whether he plays for anyone other than the Packers remains to be seen. But if he does play for anyone other than the Packers, his next team could be the Panthers.
Favre might have a chance to win in Carolina but if Jake stays healthy, Favre would be winning while standing on the sidelines with a clipboard in his hands. What kind of comeback is that, Florio?
And about that geography lesson you provided all of us – I concede that Charlotte is closer to Mississippi than Green Bay (655 miles versus 1165) but the bigger part of 700 miles isn’t exactly putting Favre close to home. (Suggestion – maybe Atlanta would be a better fit!)
Oh, and I’m sure that Mike McCoy is interested in upsetting the apple cart now to bring in a quarterback who might have something in the tank but whose very presence would likely be more of a distraction for his current starter and the rest of the team than he’s worth.
I’m going to spell this out – any team, ANY TEAM, that brings in Brett Favre is not getting what they think they’re getting.
Anybody remember this? “I know I can still play, but it’s like I told my wife, I’m just tired mentally. I’m just tired,” Favre, a three-time NFL MVP, told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen in a voice mail message.
Brett admitted that he was tired and that he didn’t feel as if he could continue to dedicate himself to putting in the work necessary to prepare for games. He did go on to say that the thrill of playing on Sundays was still there. However, he felt like the rigors of the grind of all the work to be completed Monday through Saturday was just too much for him to take.
Now, I’ll ask you Mike Florio, and all Panthers fans, do you want a guy on the team at any position who isn’t willing or mentally prepared to do all of the work necessary?
I didn’t think so. Mike Florio might think so. Bus Cook might think so.
The problem is that they are both selling you a bill of goods. Just not one as big as the one you would get by signing Brett Favre.