Vacchiano: Favre created his own mess

Brett Favre has made a Hall of Fame career out of making something good out of a mess. Whether it was carrying a bad team on his shoulders, or rolling out of a collapsing pocket, when things were at their worst, he was at his best.

So it would be no surprise at all if Favre finds the positive in the ugly situation he’s in the midst of right now in Green Bay, where he wants to return to the NFL and the Packers don’t want him back. Of course, there’s one big difference this time:

He’s created this mess himself.

As angry as Favre seems any time he talks about the Packers’ unwillingness to welcome him back to their family, he seems to keep forgetting that he’s the one who abandoned them in the first place. He walked away when they likely would’ve kept him. He’s the one who didn’t tell them he was coming back until just a few weeks ago.

And what did he expect? He is Brett Favre, after all. Green Bay legend. So he expected they’d dance with joy, throw money in the air and roll out the red carpet for his return. But how are the Packers supposed to do that when they’ve spent the offseason planning for life without him. Every move they made — personnel, salary cap, preparation — was made with quarterback Aaron Rodgers in mind.

And now Favre wants them to let him come back and push the 24-year-old Rodgers aside? Or, better yet, he wants them to release him so he can go play for the Minnesota Vikings, who just happen to be scheduled to play at Lambeau Field on opening day? The Packers seem willing to let him back, but only on their terms. The Packers even seem open to letting him play elsewhere, but only if they can dictate where.

But that’s not good enough for Favre, who thinks he’s owed better because he is, after all, Favre. Apparently the Packers owe him more than the millions they’ve paid him for 16 years.

That’s not fair to the Packers, and it’s put them in a horrible position. Because of Favre, the start of their training camp has become a circus with media flying in from all parts of the country with only Favre on their minds. They have to deal now with an angry fan base that doesn’t want to let go of a legend. And they have to deal with a perception — from inside and outside the locker room — that one more year of Favre could be their ticket to Super Bowl XLIII.

After all, they were in overtime of the NFC championship game just six months ago (right up until Favre threw the interception that blew the game). Bring Favre back and they figure they’re the NFC favorites. Plus, it’s hard to argue with the logic that Favre gives the Packers a better chance than Rodgers. Even Rodgers, if he was being honest, would probably admit that.

But that’s a decision that should’ve been made five months ago.

And speaking of Rodgers, what about the untenable position he’s been placed in? It was going to be tough enough filling Favre’s shoes in Green Bay, especially one season after Favre nearly led a magical Super Bowl run. Now he’ll have to do it under a cloud of doubt. Every errant pass will be met with cries of “We could’ve had Favre!”

Favre wants to come to Packers camp and put the kid through that? Or he wants to go play for a division rival, so Packers fans have a nearby reminder of what could have been?

I feel for Favre. I sincerely do. It can’t possibly be easy to have to give up your life’s work at the relatively young age of 38. I can understand his indecision about retirement, and why after a few months away from the game he’d change his mind. And if he wants to come back and play, he has that right. Life is short and athletic careers are shorter. People should play sports as long as they mentally and physically can.

But that doesn’t mean that Favre, Hall of Famer or not, gets to dictate the fate of a franchise. He needed to recognize the difficult and ridiculous position he put the Packers in by announcing his intentions just weeks before camp, and he needs to let them make the decision that’s best for them. If that means a trade to the New York Jets or Tampa Bay Buccaneers — two teams that seem to want him, even though Favre doesn’t want them — then he needs to accept that. If he really wants to play, then he has to go anywhere to do it.

Instead, as he approaches 40, Favre comes off like a spoiled child, demanding that he gets what he wants — and now. The Packers aren’t innocent in this. Their announcement that Favre could come back and be their backup quarterback was insulting. Their $20 million bribe offer for Favre to stay retired was shameless.

But at least they have the excuse that they were forced into a desperate situation. Now it’s really up to Favre to undo his self-created mess.

Ralph Vacchiano is the author of Eli Manning: The Making of a Quarterback, which is available for purchase here.

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