Ted Thompson and the Green Bay Packers have one option when it comes to handling the Brett Favre saga.  They must find a partner and make a trade.  No other option makes sense. 

If Thompson decides something else, at some point in September he will realize that there is nowhere to hide in the 44 square miles that is Green Bay, Wisconsin.  He will hear the boos and face the criticism everywhere he turns.  The Packers are a young, talented team and came remarkably close to a Super Bowl trip last season.  The window of opportunity in the NFL slams quickly, and Thompson owes it to the fans of Green Bay and the players on his team to make every effort to get to the Super Bowl this season.  When you are the General Manager of a football team, that is your primary job.

The best opportunity for Green Bay is to trade… Aaron Rodgers.  Trading Rodgers would immediately solve the primary concern Thompson seems to have -- delaying the career of the first player he drafted as Green Bay’s General Manager.  And so be it.  In his very limited experience, Rodgers has not shown the ability to stay healthy.  Brett Favre has started every Green Bay game since September 20, 1992.  And while everyone knows the streak must end at some point, it shouldn’t end because a first-ballot Hall of Famer didn’t make his mind up about playing this year within the timeframe the General Manager preferred.  If you watched the Packers last year, it was clear that Brett Favre could still play at a very high level.  He is an all-time great.  His name is mentioned with Bart Starr’s.  His name is mentioned with John Elway’s, Fran Tarkenton’s and Dan Marino’s.  He can be compared to Joe Montana.  Why prevent him from leading your team in favor of turning the most important position on the field over to Rodgers and two draft picks?  I’d prefer the guy who is compared to Joe Montana to the guys who enjoy watching Hannah Montana. 

 

 

It may be too late to salvage the relationship between Favre and the Packers, but you have to think that trading Rodgers would send a clear message that #4 is still #1.  The Packers would likely want a 1st round draft pick, but would be lucky to get a mid-2nd round pick.  Remember, Rodgers was free-falling during the ’05 draft before Thompson snagged him.  If Rodgers does start under center Week 1, how long will it be until the “We want Favre” chants echo through Lambeau?  It will not take long.  The pressure to replace a legend has been too much to handle for virtually every quarterback that has attempted to do so.  An argument can be made that the circumstances that have developed over the past few weeks make Rodger’s challenge the greatest ever. 

 

 

The fact of the matter is that with Favre at the helm, the Green Bay Packers would be the favorite in the NFC North and certainly one of the top teams in the NFC.  With Rodgers in charge, the Packers will not be favored over Minnesota for the division, and will not have a realistic shot at the NFC Championship.  The decision seems clear.  What is not clear is whether or not Thompson’s ego will allow his team its best chance at victory.