As Favre Leaves Green Bay, Young Quarterbacks Have Big Shoes to Fill

It's hard to imagine how it must feel to replace a legend - a predecessor who has set the bar so high, that nobody can even see it. Nobody can fill shoes that are so big. In the NFL, there are legends, and then there is Brett Favre.

For sixteen seasons, Favre has been under center for the Green Bay Packers. No matter how big the game or how tough the opponent, the Packers could rest easy knowing that Brett Favre was on their team and could give them a shot at winning every time he suited up. A lock for the hall of fame, if ever there was on, Favre racked up over 60,000 passing yards and 442 touchdown passes. Most endearing to the Packers' fans, he brought the Lombardi trophy back to title town with a victory in Super Bowl XXXI.

With plans in place to name a street after Brett Favre in Green Bay, it is an understatement to say that Favre will be a tough act to follow. Brian Brohm and Aaron Rodgers will take on that unenviable task.

Rodgers will be entering his fourth professional season after a standout career at the University of California. Green Bay picked up Rodgers as their first round selection in the 2005 draft. Rodgers was viewed as a great talent, but fell to the late first round because few teams were in the market for a quarterback. He was instantly viewed as the heir-apparent to Brett Favre and would serve as his understudy for the next three years.

The Packers added to their quarterback pool this offseason by drafting Brian Brohm. Brohm was a standout at the University of Louisville and will begin his NFL career as Aaron Rodgers' backup in Green Bay. Scouts have been impressed with Brohm's size, strength and football intelligence. Brohm provides Green Bay with a nice contingency plan should the Aaron Rodgers project go badly.

Despite the upside of these two young players, Green Bay has several unknowns at the quarterback position for the first time in nearly two decades. In his brief NFL career, Rodgers has thrown only 59 passes. To put that in perspective, Favre has thrown over seven times as many touchdown passes as Rodgers has pass attempts.

As if the expectations weren't high enough, Green Bay was legitimate Super Bowl contender last season. The Packers won the NFC Central and won thirteen regular season games. The pressure will be on Rodgers or Brohm to keep Green Bay at such a high level of play.

One benefit the new quarterback in Green Bay will experience is that they will be placed into a well oiled offensive machine. Last year, the Packers scored 435 points (fourth highest in the NFL). There will also be two nice targets in Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. Also, the fans of Green Bay are likely to handle this transition period in Packer football better than most other cities.

There is only one Brett Favre. The Green Bay fans that have watched him for the last sixteen years should know that better than anybody. So with an open mind, realistic expectations and unwavering support, Green Bay should smoothly transition into the post-Favre era. It is fun for Packers fans; however, to imagine that someday there will be a Brohm Boulevard or Rodgers Road in Green Bay.