What would have happened to Rodgers?

[red4tribe]

Let's all briefly go back to the NFL offseason after that disastrous lost to the Giants in the 2007 NFC Championship game. Let's say that Favre, instead of retiring, decides to come back and play for the Packers. At that point in time, there was really no way that Favre could be turned down as the greatness of Rodgers was not yet know, and Favre certainly gave us the best chance to win at the time. If Favre decided to come back for the Packers for 2008 and even 2009, what would have happened to Rodgers? It seems unlikely that he would have contently sat on the bench for another year or two, since he obviously had what it took to play in the league. Would he have demanded a trade? Would he be a lifelong nobody backup?

 

[OCBP]

Let's all briefly go back to the NFL offseason after that disastrous lost to the Giants in the 2007 NFC Championship game. Let's say that Favre, instead of retiring, decides to come back and play for the Packers. At that point in time, there was really no way that Favre could be turned down as the greatness of Rodgers was not yet know, and Favre certainly gave us the best chance to win at the time. If Favre decided to come back for the Packers for 2008 and even 2009, what would have happened to Rodgers? It seems unlikely that he would have contently sat on the bench for another year or two, since he obviously had what it took to play in the league. Would he have demanded a trade? Would he be a lifelong nobody backup?

TT made the correct decision to take the next step. It was time to move on. Thankful as a GB fan that the decision proved to be prudent. We have one of the best QB's, if not the best, in the NFL.

You do have to wonder, just like some have with Favre, if Rodgers would have been as successful in another system/team. Good news is it doesn't matter. #12 is our QB.

 

[Dagger85]

He was very patient through the process and if he had to go through another 2 years of waiting, who knows. The correct decision was made. If he would've left, it would be interesting to think who would've been our QB now. But I'm glad we didn't have to find out.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Let's all briefly go back to the NFL offseason after that disastrous lost to the Giants in the 2007 NFC Championship game. Let's say that Favre, instead of retiring, decides to come back and play for the Packers. At that point in time, there was really no way that Favre could be turned down as the greatness of Rodgers was not yet know, and Favre certainly gave us the best chance to win at the time. If Favre decided to come back for the Packers for 2008 and even 2009, what would have happened to Rodgers? It seems unlikely that he would have contently sat on the bench for another year or two, since he obviously had what it took to play in the league. Would he have demanded a trade? Would he be a lifelong nobody backup?

I think the Packers were ready to move on from Favre after the 2007 season. There are even rumours McCarthy thought about going with Rodgers in the second half of the NFC Championship game.

 

[Packerlifer]

I think it would have been similar to the 49ers deciding to trade Joe Montana to Kansas City and going forward with Steve Young. Favre's decision to retire took the Packers off that hook. McCarthy and Thompson had already committed to Rodgers. I recall TT barely concealing his joy at Favre's retirement press conference. Otherwise they would have had to go through a quarterback competition and would have ended up trying to trade Favre.

Perhaps if Favre hadn't been such a jerk about it they would have traded him to Minnesota, despite the objections of helping a division rival. The Packers could have picked up 3 first round picks and a few more prime selection spots in upcoming drafts from a team desperate for a qb. They won the division in '08 anyway with Tarvaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte so it wouldn't have made much difference anyway.

Depending on how the playoffs went in '08 Favre might have retired then or in '09 for sure. The stink of Favre's betrayal of the Pack would have been avoided since the Packers traded him and we could feel better about retiring his number and welcoming him back into the Packers' fold.

 

[Forget Favre]

I think the Packers were ready to move on from Favre after the 2007 season. There are even rumours McCarthy thought about going with Rodgers in the second half of the NFC Championship game.

Yeah, I heard about that to.
MM wanted to bench Favre but said something like, "You don't bench a legend."
I agree. For the possibility of MM even just THINKING of benching Favre shows that he was ready to move on.

 

[Forget Favre]

Regarding Favre leaving, the one thing I still don't get is whose final decision was it really for him to leave and would he have been A-Rod's back up had he stayed or continuing as a starter?
This video, as excellent as it is, for me didn't really cover those.
Go up to 38:00 where they talk about the meeting in MM's office where Favre leaves the Pack after that meeting.
They make it look like BF had the final call. If so, then why didn't he stay or couldn't commit?

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[Packerlifer]

There's no way having both ARod and Favre on the team would have worked. Neither was willing to be a back-up and it would have been a constant distraction, with the potential of team division, to have #4 on the bench. I think the real jam was the Packers wanting to keep Favre identified with the franchise and he dissing that connection. "My legacy is my own," was his famous quote on that.

Plus they were aware that Favre and the Vikings were backchanneling. That's why they filed the tampering charge. It wasn't proved but it also wasn't disproved. But it's never really been denied by Favre or Bevel or Childress either.

 

[adambr2]

If Favre had come right out after the 07-08 season and said, "I'm 100% committed to coming back next year and figuring out how we can take that next step and win a Super Bowl," they would have let him. No doubt.

They would have had little choice. They were so close in 07, and Favre had a fantastic year, he was MVP runner up. To push him away and cut or trade him if he had fully committed would have looked insane at the time. I know it's easy now to say move on with Rodgers, but at the time Rodgers was a complete unknown and Favre was a legend coming off a huge year in which we were a play away from the Super Bowl. Even the Packers weren't 100% sure what they had in Rodgers as evidenced by spending a 2nd rounder on Brohm as insurance.

Despite all that, I do think the organization was ready to move on with Rodgers, but they needed a reason to, they couldn't do it on their own. Favre gave them the reason they needed. They didn't want to put up with and no longer needed to put up with an entire offseason of a wishy washy Favre playing a game of 'will he or won't he.' I think Favre felt like he was entitled to play that game and would have taken all the way up until training camp every year to decide had he been able to. TT and MM weren't going to have that.

Revisionist history, if Favre had come out right away after the 2007-2008 season and announced a return, I think Rodgers would have gutted it out for 1 more year as his backup. If the organization had simply caved and relegated Rodgers to the bench after Favre said "changed my mind" in the summer, I think Rodgers would have been a lot more likely to ask for a trade right away. But we'll never know for sure.

 

[JBlood]

I think the Packers were ready to move on from Favre after the 2007 season. There are even rumours McCarthy thought about going with Rodgers in the second half of the NFC Championship game.

Favre's play in the NFC Championship as well as his play in the Cowboys game that year--another huge game; his annual "reliarments"(thank you Czabe), and his fight with the front office over Moss were his undoing. I will always believe that MM was the one to make the final decision of moving on with Rogers after the retired Favre had a change of heart within 1 month of his retirement. TT agreed and took the heat from that point on by fans opposed to the move. I will always like both of them for it.

 

[longtimefan]

Favre's play in the NFC Championship as well as his play in the Cowboys game that year--another huge game; his annual "reliarments"(thank you Czabe), and his fight with the front office over Moss were his undoing. I will always believe that MM was the one to make the final decision of moving on with Rogers after the retired Favre had a change of heart within 1 month of his retirement. TT agreed and took the heat from that point on by fans opposed to the move. I will always like both of them for it.

MM did want Brett out is what I have heard

During the half time of the NFCCG, it is "rumored" MM said I should bench Brett and put in Rodgers

 

[NOMOFO]

MM did want Brett out is what I have heard

During the half time of the NFCCG, it is "rumored" MM said I should bench Brett and put in Rodgers

I'm convinced that above all else, one of McCarthy's "strengths" is being a realist and understanding that players are who they are. He knew there was no changing BrentInt (sorry LTF, but I have a hard time giving this guy an ounce of respect).

Can you imagine going into each game, and game planning, just knowing that your QB is not capable of not making game changing stupid plays? He's going to do it.

Mac could talk til he's blue in the face. Doesn't matter, Burt Fvere is going to be Brnt Int Frver. Just like Jay is Jay. It was pretty clear in his later years that in the Packs biggest games, Favrer was NOT going to have any of those games not be about him. He was not going to check down. He was not going to audible out. It was all about Burt Fvefer. HE was on the big stage in the bright lights. Not the Packers.

Jay is Jay as Brent is Brent...
Int% 3.3

Jay is Jay as Brent is Brent...
Int% 3.4

 

[El Guapo]

MM did want Brett out is what I have heard

During the half time of the NFCCG, it is "rumored" MM said I should bench Brett and put in Rodgers

I have no doubt that it was likely said, but the reasons could be debated. Odds are he was saying it to light a fire under his QB's butt. If he wanted to do it, he could have bench Favre and stuck in the young blood. He didn't though.

IMO Rodgers would have left when his contract expired had Favre stayed. The problem is there is NO way to know what kind of 'should-I-or-shouldn't-I-retire' stuff Favre would have pulled after our second straight Super Bowl in 2008

 

[Forget Favre]

Ya know, there was a lotta love and, I think, the majority of Packers fans saw the potential of A-Rod when he stepped in for an injured Favre in Dallas even though he lost the game.
And then they hated him when they saw he would be the starter.
Interesting.

 

[lambeaulambo]

My play on this is that Rodgers would have begged to be traded to San Fran, his favorite childhood team, and would have dethroned Alex Smith Russell Wilson style immediately, and SF would now have 3 more rings.

 

[Forget Favre]

I'm convinced that above all else, one of McCarthy's "strengths" is being a realist and understanding that players are who they are. He knew there was no changing BrentInt (sorry LTF, but I have a hard time giving this guy an ounce of respect).

Can you imagine going into each game, and game planning, just knowing that your QB is not capable of not making game changing stupid plays? He's going to do it.

Mac could talk til he's blue in the face. Doesn't matter, Burt Fvere is going to be Brnt Int Frver. Just like Jay is Jay. It was pretty clear in his later years that in the Packs biggest games, Favrer was NOT going to have any of those games not be about him. He was not going to check down. He was not going to audible out. It was all about Burt Fvefer. HE was on the big stage in the bright lights. Not the Packers.

Jay is Jay as Brent is Brent...
Int% 3.3

Jay is Jay as Brent is Brent...
Int% 3.4

I agree and I think that between the two QBs, BrINT is overrated.
Jay is... well.. Jay isn't rated at all?
Also our prima donna was always just clowning around and joking before and during games.
That, to me, makes him look like that he just didn't really care about winning.
Now our guy, Air-Run is seen laughing and smiling when he knows that we will win against the Eagles.
It is night and day between the two. One didn't seem to take it so seriously and the other one shows up to training camp on time!

 

[longtimefan]

I have no doubt that it was likely said, but the reasons could be debated. Odds are he was saying it to light a fire under his QB's butt. If he wanted to do it, he could have bench Favre and stuck in the young blood. He didn't though.

IMO Rodgers would have left when his contract expired had Favre stayed. The problem is there is NO way to know what kind of 'should-I-or-shouldn't-I-retire' stuff Favre would have pulled after our second straight Super Bowl in 2008

Rumor was Brett wasnt sticking to the game plan

 

[JBlood]

MM did want Brett out is what I have heard

During the half time of the NFCCG, it is "rumored" MM said I should bench Brett and put in Rodgers

Seems to me I read something similar about MM being furious with Favre after the Cowboys game that year. Was it something you said on the forum?? I think you have inside info on the Packers....

 

[red4tribe]

Seems to me I read something similar about MM being furious with Favre after the Cowboys game that year. Was it something you said on the forum?? I think you have inside info on the Packers....

MM should have been angry. Favre was terrible, he blew the game. He was trying to win the game by himself and started chucking the ball all over the place. Then Rodgers came in and we saw a first glimpse of the future. I'll always remember Cris Collinsworth saying, as Rodgers entered the game, "the packers better hope Favre comes back quick because they aren't going to win many games with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback."

 

[AmishMafia]

MM said after BF left town after their conversation that in the end BF could not get past the things that bothered him and therefore he would not be coming back. This lead me to believe that the decision was MMs to make and not TTs.

The decision was never TTs as many seem to believe. It was BF who left (several times) and MMs decision to not let him back.

 

[Forget Favre]

Instead of a time machine, I think it would be cool if they made a "What if...?" machine as well or instead of.
One of the things I would check out is to see where Aaron Rodgers would have ended up if that scout hadn't been there at the right time.

 

[El Guapo]

They make two distinct "what if" machines:

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...and...

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[HardRightEdge]

I recommended the Packers try to work a Hershel Walker-type trade after the 2000 season. It seemed his stockpile of get-out-of-jail-free cards was running low and his bellyaching about the roster was getting threadbare.

 

[PikeBadger]

It was over when TT & MM came back from Hattiesburg in late Feb.
Thompson drafted Brohm and Flynn as a result. Favre era was officially over.

My question is: What would our world be like if Ted's phone had rung in the 10 minutes prior to drafting Rodgers???

 

[I asked LT to delete my acct]

It was over when TT & MM came back from Hattiesburg in late Feb.
Thompson drafted Brohm and Flynn as a result. Favre era was officially over.

My question is: What would our world be like if Ted's phone had rung in the 10 minutes prior to drafting Rodgers???

If his phone is anything like mine is these days, he would have had new upvc windows for the winter