Favre files retirement papers
Brett Favre is following through on that vow to finally end his career after 20 NFL seasons.
League spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed that the Minnesota quarterback had filed his retirement papers with the NFL. The news was first reported by Fox Sports on its website Monday.
Favre, 41, has filed retirement papers previously, of course, and could request reinstatement at any time. He said he was done in 2008 with the Packers and 2009 with the Jets, only to join the Vikings and play two more years.
After an age-defying performance last season, Favre slumped badly in 2010 and suffered a slew of injuries. His sprained throwing shoulder ended his record streak of 297 straight regular-season games started, and later he had a concussion which kept him out of the season finale.
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"I know it's time, and that's OK. It is," Favre said after that game. "Again, I hold no regrets, and I can't think of too many players offhand that can walk away and say that. Individually and from a team standpoint, it was way more than I ever dreamed of."
He knows that there will be doubters again.
"I don't know for me if it's ever easy," Favre said. "I'm sure throughout this year, the comment has been made that, 'We'll wait and see in August or September' and that's fine. It's time. I'm OK with it."
If this indeed is the end -- for real, this time -- for Favre, one of the most colorful and celebrated careers in league history concluded with a season filled with interceptions, injuries and insults.
He was picked off 19 times this season and his 69.9 quarterback rating is the lowest of his career. The Vikings sunk to the bottom of the NFC North after starting the season with Super Bowl aspirations, coach Brad Childress was fired during the season and Favre was fined $50,000 for failure to cooperate with an NFL investigation into allegations that he sent lewd photos and messages to a team employee when both worked for the New York Jets in 2008.
Favre's reputation took a serious hit from the humiliating scandal, which tarnished the image of one of the league's most popular players. His union with receiver Randy Moss also was a spectacular failure and his cherished streak of 297 straight starts ended, with a sprained throwing shoulder making it impossible for Favre to let those famously zip-filled passes rip from his right arm.
And just for good measure, the Metrodome roof caved in to provide a perfect metaphor for Favre and the Vikings' 2010, forcing the Vikings to play "home" games at Detroit and at the University of Minnesota's outdoor stadium in December.
"It's been a wonderful experience for me," Favre said. "This year did not work out the way we would have hoped, but that's football. I don't regret coming back. I enjoyed my experience here."
The season started reluctantly, with Favre having serious reservations about coming back after surgery on his ankle. He also wondered if he could duplicate his incredible 2009 performance, which he called the best of his career.
Childress had to send three of Favre's closest friends on the team -- Ryan Longwell, Jared Allen and Steve Hutchinson -- on a private plane to Hattiesburg, Miss., to coax the old man into coming back for one more shot at a Super Bowl.
"All indications, when I talk with him, and we've had many, many discussions -- this is it," coach Leslie Frazier said. "I don't even think it'll be an issue in the future. I don't see any situation that's going to change his mind. You might say, 'We'll, we've been down that road before,' but it's different now. Things are different, in his life and in the organization's life as well."
(MPR staff contributed to this report)
