Brett Favre’s interest in New York has come two touchdowns down, with 45 seconds remaining, too little, already too late.
The quarterback, now headed to New York in a trade, is 38 years old. He had no initial interest in playing in New York after, just five months before, calling a press conference to announce that he knew he could still play but didn’t want to anymore.
In the midst of an unbecoming stalemate with the Packers, Favre apparently actually weighed their $25 million offer to retire for a second time, which should sincerely frighten a team wanting to make a two-year commitment, the only sensible length coming off 4-12.
The Packers were one ugly and — probably telltale — Favre overtime interception away from the Super Bowl, a lot closer than were the Jets. And it has become obvious since that Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson didn’t believe Favre, off that second half against the Giants, was any longer capable of finishing the big job. Otherwise, the Packers would want to turn away the franchise icon, and alienate the fans who worshipped him, to go to the almost totally untested Aaron Rodgers?
If Green Bay, which knows Favre best, came to the conclusion after all this greatness, that he has become a dead end, shouldn’t the Jets have taken the hint?
They have a third-year kid, Kellen Clemens, with a big arm. If the head for the position proves not as promising as the arm, then it should have been back to Chad Pennington and the draft board in April for another quarterback of the future.
The Jets spent $141 million on two badly needed veteran offensive linemen and some guys who can play the defense Mangini believes in. If Pennington could win 10 games, including one over Favre 38-10 in Green Bay, with that motley Jets crew of 2006, he could have done it again this year with two healthy ankles and four games with Buffalo and Miami.
He was not likely to add significant mph at age 32, not after two shoulder surgeries. But at least Pennington is not 38, and coming in broken-hearted after being turned away from the place he could do no wrong. With less than a month to learn a new offense, nursing a twisted arm suffered while condescending to come to New York.
Clemens is 25, and if the Jets really wanted to do more than just piece together a few decent years, was the way to go, of course. Eight starts and a 60.7 passer rating last season only scared the Jets into first keeping Pennington, then doing what they did late last night, because they know they could do a lot worse.
We’re just not convinced they are doing better.
It’s not the cost of the conditional draft choice, reasonable enough. It’s where are the Jets in two years? There was arm enough left in Favre last year to win 13 games, and a playoff contest. But after all he has been through, all he has put himself through, does he have enough heart left for the game to make this more than just a late, wild, swing by the Jets for some attention?