 After numerous seasons of saying he would retire only to return the next season, it seems as though this may be the final good bye for NFL great Brett Favre, who has been considered one of the best quarterbacks in the league for nearly two decades.
The 41-year-old NFL veteran sat out Minnesota's season-ending loss to the Lions on Sunday (January 2) with a concussion.
Looks like Favre isn't Iron Man, and he's finally realizing it.
"I know it's time, and that's OK. It is," Favre said after the loss. "Again, I hold no regrets, and I can't think of too many players offhand that can walk away and say that. Individually and from a team standpoint, it was way more than I ever dreamed of."
Favre has formally retired twice -- once in 2008 with the Green Bay Packers, and 2009 with the New York Jets, only to return to the field in the summer.
With this recent announcement, he says he's sure there will be doubters again.
"I don't know for me if it's ever easy," Favre said. "I'm sure throughout this year, the comment has been made that, 'We'll wait and see in August or September' and that's fine. It's time. I'm OK with it."
Despite leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 10-1 start and taking the to the NFC championship game last season, where they were eliminated by the New Orleans Saints, the 2010-2011 season has been a disaster for Favre.
He was picked 19 times and had a 69.9 quarterback rating this season, the lowest of his career. His Vikings has a losing record, his reputation was tarnished by a humiliating sex scandal, and he endured injuries that made him miss a game in December ending a 297-game start streak
All these elements destroyed the Vikings hopes' this season, despite beginning with Super Bowl aspirations.
Despite all of it, Favre didn't regret returning this season for one last ride to a possible Super Bowl.
"It's been a wonderful experience for me," Favre said. "This year did not work out the way we would have hoped, but that's football. I don't regret coming back. I enjoyed my experience here."
Favre was selected in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft by Atlanta (33rd overall), and was traded to Green Bay on February 10, 1992, where he spent the bulk of his career and won a ring at Super Bowl XXXI against the New England Patriots.
Throughout his 20-year career, he was NFL Champ two times, named the NFL MVP by the Associated Press three times, has been selected to 11 Pro Bowls, and holds multiple records and career achievements.
Favre will definitely go down in the history books as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.
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