Favre ponders retirement after early playoff exit
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Brett Favre doesn't want to go out like this -- although he just might.
Favre was in a reflective mood after throwing four interceptions in Green Bay's 31-17 loss to the hated Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
He said he didn't want his poor playoff performance to play a role in his decision whether to retire or return to Green Bay for a 15th NFL season.
"It would be easy to walk off the field after that game and say, 'I've had enough,"' Favre said. "But I'm going to try to be as fair to myself and to this team as possible. I've had a lot of great games. This obviously was not one of them. But I can't base my decision on this game."
Favre met with coach-general manager Mike Sherman for about 45 minutes after the loss to discuss his future.
"He just had a long talk, a good talk and he just wanted me to know that: don't make any decisions off of this one game, as tough as that may be. And he's right," Favre said. "I still feel like I can play."
Favre is still on top of his game -- he threw for more than 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns again this season -- and he's guided Green Bay to the playoffs 10 times, tops in the league during the salary cap era.
"There's no fine line here. I love to play the game, I don't think it's passed me by yet. It's a good thing to still have juice to play and still physically be able to play," Favre said. "But in some ways you almost want that decision to be made for you."
Favre suggested he give Sherman an answer by the draft in April but Sherman can't wait that long. He said before he flies home to Mississippi this week he expects to have a deadline from Sherman.
At 35, Favre feels the tug of family, not just football.
He's lost his father and his brother-in-law in the last 13 months. His oldest daughter attends high school in Mississippi and his wife, Deanna, is fighting breast cancer.
"It's not about me anymore," Favre said. "My wife has gone through some difficult times and continues to and so that is going to play into my decision-making. I know if my family was up here right now, they would say, 'He's coming back.' But I also have to be fair to them, too, and they're going to be involved."
Favre, scheduled to make $6.5 million in 2005, said he's never played for the money and won't start now.
"If I come back, I want to come back for the right reasons and that's to lead this team to the Super Bowl," Favre said.
He's pretty certain he has the offense to do that, but the dismal defense needs an overhaul so he's not always having to try to win shootouts like on Sunday.
Still, Favre said he didn't seek assurances...
-01-10-2005, 05:53 PM
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