Aikman: Packers' struggles might drive Favre to retire

[WoodysGirl]

02/19/2006
By CHRIS JENKINS / Associated Press

Troy Aikman believes the Green Bay Packers' struggles will likely drive Brett Favre into retirement.

"I'd hate to see him retire," Aikman told The Associated Press on Sunday. "But I know that going out and having seasons like what he went through this past year is really frustrating and it just isn't much fun. So I don't know what he's going to do. I think the fact that he is having a hard time making the decision, in some ways, to me, that kind of has made the decision for him."

Favre hasn't said whether he will return to the Packers, who are coming off a 4-12 season — their only losing season with Favre under center.

Aikman, a television analyst for Fox, hasn't spoken with Favre since the end of the season but is one of several high-profile former quarterbacks Favre has asked for advice on retirement.

"Over the years, Brett and I have talked a lot about kind of what happened at the end of my career, kind of where he's at right now," said Aikman, who was at Daytona International Speedway to oversee the debut of Hall of Fame Racing, the NASCAR team he founded with Roger Staubach. "And Brett has drawn some comparisons to what he's currently going through with what I went through at the end of my career — not from a health standpoint, but just kind of where the team is."

Aikman said the Cowboys' downturn was more of a factor than a string of concussions in his retirement decision. Aikman said Favre is in a similar situation.

"Health was a small factor in my decision," Aikman said. "But it had more to do with, I just didn't think that we were doing what was necessary to be competitive any longer. And I know that Brett is dealing with that currently."

Favre threw a career-high 29 interceptions last season, but Aikman believes he still has top-notch skills.

"He's still playing at a high level, and I still believe he's one of the best quarterbacks in the league," Aikman said.

Favre said in an ESPN interview last month that he hasn't made a final decision on retirement, but if he had to decide right now, he would retire.

To Aikman, that signals that Favre's time as an NFL quarterback might be up.
"I don't know then if you ever get back to the level of 100 percent commitment to say, 'Yeah, this is what I want to do,'" Aikman said. "Because usually what happens is that no matter how good your season is, you always go through periods where it's a struggle. The best years we had, with our Super Bowls, we had periods where things were tight. When you're not 100 percent committed, then when you hit those periods, and you're asking yourself, 'Why am I doing this?' And I don't know if you can have your quarterback asking some of those questions."

Link

 

[Hostile]

As close as he is to some of Marino's career records I'd be kind of surprised if he did retire considering the Packers would like him back.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Somebody needs to tell Troy the multiple and numerous concussions he began to suffer on an almost weekly basis, and the serious decline in his play was the major reason he was forced into retirement.

His continual denial of that very obvious point is puzzling to me.

 

[Hostile]

Somebody needs to tell Troy the multiple and numerous concussions he began to suffer on an almost weekly basis, and the serious decline in his play was the major reason he was forced into retirement.

His continual denial of that very obvious point is puzzling to me.

He might not remember any of that.

 

[sago1]

How and why a player retires usually based on a variety of reasons, some of which an athlete never accepts. Aikman still feels he could have continued to play at a high level & at 33 he would have had that choice except for mounting concussions & rather serious back problems.

I remember last year or 2 he still with Cowboys the NFL announcer (can't recall announcer's name but he lives in Dallas and was partnered with Madden for years announcing NFL games) publicly stated Aikman's back was so bad he didn't even have the strength to bend down & pick up a cup of coffee. Concussions were big concern but back problems affected his ability to threw the ball with velocity he had always been known for. If not for his deteriorating health, Cowboys wouldn't have cut him & other teams would have made runs at him. FYI: Ironically in 1997 Madden & the other announcer were broadcasting Cowboys game against the Bears. Bears were blitzing on every play including the run. Cowboys won the game (think Aikman threw 2 TDs) but Madden said, if OL didn't protect Aikman better then they were in that game, Aikman's career wouldn't last much longer. It was over 3 years later.

 

[2much2soon]

I remember last year or 2 he still with Cowboys the NFL announcer (can't recall announcer's name but he lives in Dallas and was partnered with Madden for years announcing NFL games)

Pat Summerall?

 

[AdamJT13]

"Health was a small factor in my decision," Aikman said. "But it had more to do with, I just didn't think that we were doing what was necessary to be competitive any longer."

There was no "we" when Troy retired. We released him, and nobody else wanted to sign him, so he retired.

It would be like the Jets cutting Chad Pennington because of his injuries, then Pennington retiring and saying it's because he doesn't like the direction the Jets are going.

 

[rcaldw]

Something that has always stood out to me about Aikman,though, is that he is honest, sometimes to his own harm. I find it hard to believe that he just completely distorts facts.

I think probably the explanation is more like this. Jones was willing to let Aikman try again, but with conditions. (Probably financial and otherwise) Aikman could have accepted the conditions, but was not willing. I think it would probably be true to say that Aikman had other offers to play that first off season, but again, with conditions. (No guaranteed starting position) Again, Aikman was unwilling to accept the conditions. Thus, Aikman still sees his retirement as a mutual decision, not just Jones' decision.

 

[THUMPER]

There was no "we" when Troy retired. We released him, and nobody else wanted to sign him, so he retired.

It would be like the Jets cutting Chad Pennington because of his injuries, then Pennington retiring and saying it's because he doesn't like the direction the Jets are going.

He was also unhappy with where the Cowboys had been going (downhill) and they had mutually agreed for him to be released so that he could have a chance to sign on elsewhere. The problem was that Aikman was not willing to be a backup anywhere and teams were not willing to guarantee him the starting job with his history of injuries (back & concussions) nor to pay him the money he was hoping for so he decided to retire instead.