Brett Favre Retires; Aaron Rodgers Now in Charge of the Packers

After years of rumors that Brett Favre would retire from the Green Bay Packers, the fears turned out to be true this year. Favre's retirement this morning leaves the Packers facing a future without Farve for the first time in 17 years. Without Favre, who brought them back to their Lombardi-era glory, the Packers will obviously face a bit of a downfall. It is up to new quarterback Aaron Rodgers to keep them on top in the NFC North.

Rodgers was drafted in 2005 to be the quarterback of the Packers future. Since Favre never missed a start, Rodgers had very limited opportunities to prove himself. However, he showed some promise in the Packers late season showdown with the Cowboys last season. When Favre got injured, Rodgers nearly led the Packers to a comeback in the hostile environment of Texas Stadium. Still, Rodgers will need to prove himself through an entire season now.

Rodgers had a very successful college career in California, and was predicted to be a very high draft pick before he slipped down to the Packers. Through three seasons of sitting on the bench behind Favre, Rodgers could have easily gone rusty. The Packers may wind up believing that Rodgers is not ready to take over for an entire season. Perhaps they will hire another veteran quarterback to carry the Packers through until Rodgers is ready. However, Rodgers has waited three years for this chance and will eventually have to take over at some point. Eventually, it will be time to put their full trust in him to carry on Favre's legacy. The only question is how short of a leash Rodgers will have, assuming he is allowed to be the full time starter.

Favre's retirement comes at the best and worst time. He leaves after one of his best seasons, where he nearly led the Packers back to the Super Bowl. But now that the Packers are Super Bowl contenders again, Favre's absence is more damaging. In the NFC North alone, the Vikings are a possible contender for the future after the historic rookie season of Adrian Peterson. The Bears are attempting to return to their old form, while the Lions made some key progress last season. As for the larger NFC picture, the Cowboys and Giants will certainly be regarded as heavier favorites next season than the Packers will.

Instead of being a sure fire contender this season, the Packers will be one of the NFC's biggest question marks without Favre. With the rise of running back Ryan Grant and veteran receivers like Donald Driver, Rodgers may not have to carry the whole load in place of Favre. But Favre's shadow may be too big for Rodgers to instantly lead them back to the Super Bowl over teams like the Cowboys, Giants, and division rivals like the Vikings.

Sources

KFFL- Favre Hands the Reins to Rodgers www.kffl.com/article.php/86040/512

ESPN- Without Favre's magic, the Packers return to NFC pack sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story