Brett Favre Traded to the New York Jets

After weeks of speculation and intense media scrutiny, Brett Favre has officially been traded to the New York Jets, according to Adam Schefter of the NFL Network. So what does this trade mean for the New York Jets and the Green Bay Packers? More importantly, what does this trade mean deal mean for football fans everywhere, anxiously waiting for the start of the 2008 NFL season?

Brett Favre was born in Gulfport, Mississippi in 1969 and attended college at Southern Mississippi. He started as the 7^th ranked QB on the team and eventually won the starting job. Shortly before his senior year, Brett was involved in a nearly fatal accident resulting in the loss of 30cm of small intestine. He played anyway and in 1991 was drafted 33^rd overall by the Atlanta Falcons.

He played just one year with the Falcons, threw 4 passes and completed none of them. The following year he was traded to the Green Bay Packers and his illustrious career began. He has remained in Green Bay the last 16 years, taking the Packers to 2 Super Bowls and winning one of them ( Super Bowl XXXI). Along the way he has racked up more awards and statistics than anyone in the history of the game. Including these:

Most TD Passes: 442

Most Passing Yards: 61,655

Most Wins by Starting QB: 160

Last season, he came just one game shy of going to the Super Bowl for the third time, and after the season was over, Brett Favre decided to hang up his cleats and retire. The media mourned, Brett cried and the Packers moved on. Then, by some miracle, Brett Favre decided he had changed his mind. Packer fans rejoiced, and media personnel swooned but the Green Bay Packers front office wasn't convinced. They had decided to move on without him and finally give their 2005 #1 draft pick, Aaron Rodgers the reigns.

So, after all the speculations and concerns, Brett Favre is officially no longer a Green Bay Packer. Wednesday, August 6, 2008, he was traded to the New York Jets for a conditional 4^th round pick. While New York was not Brett Favre's first choice, he is expected to report to New York in time for the rest of training camp.

So what does this mean for Packers Fans?

Well, it is the end of an era and the end of an icon in Green Bay. It will be hard for NFL fans everywhere to see Brett Favre in a different uniform, but we will get used to it. It is now the Aaron Rodgers era, for better or worse. Only time will tell what he will make of it. Green Bay fans can only hope he fairs better than the throngs of Quarterbacks that have passed through Miami after Dan Marino retired. It is hard replacing a legend and he will have very big shoes to fill. Luckily, he has the support of his teammates and coaches who obviously believe in him. Still, I have to believe that if the Packers don't make it to the playoffs this year, there will be heads rolling in Green Bay after the season is done.

So what does this mean for Jets Fans?

Sorry Jets fans, it is still too early to buy tickets to the Super Bowl. Brett Favre has been indecisive as of late and it might only get worse. He may decide to retire again after training camp. Odds are that he won't, but I wouldn't put anything out of the question at this point. For a Jets team that has made a lot of good off season moves this year, 2008 is shaping up to be a spectacular one. Coach Eric Mangini is obviously trying to make his presence known in a Patriot heavy division. This off season alone they acquired disgruntled Free Agent Alan Fanneca and drafted top DE Vernon Gholston. With the newly acquired Brett Favre soon to be gracing the Jets locker room, this Jets team really could give the Patriots a run for their money this season and it wouldn't surprise anyone if they made it to the playoffs, especially if they are led by the legendary #4.