If you were ever confused about how things between the Packers and Brett Favre got so weird, so fast in 2008, you’re not alone.
He is too.
“I think at some point what crossed my mind was, ‘How did it ever get to this point?’" Favre said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “To be arguably one of the most successful players in Packers history, and I would think [a player who was] well-received by the fans, especially up to that point, you’re just thinking, ‘How did it get to this point?’
“Of course, we’ve talked about that, and I take my share of the blame as well, but it was just hard. It was a surreal feeling.”
That there was tension between the team and its star quarterback isn’t a far-flung idea, especially since they had his replacement parked there waiting to take over. But Favre said during his last round of meetings with coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson, it was clear his time there was done.
“It was for the most part cordial,” Favre said. “It was like, ‘What do we do?’ That was the million-dollar question, I guess. I got a sense that there wasn’t many options on my part. It was frustrating, and I know it was frustrating for them, as well.
“When I left, it was like, I don’t know if we’re any closer than where we need to be when I got there that morning. Emotions were running high, but all in all I think it was pretty cordial, considering the circumstances.”
Of course, Favre wanting to stay in the NFC North was something the Packers objected to, and refused to go along with.
“I felt like I wasn’t good enough to play there but was good enough to not play against them,” Favre said, “and that bothered me.”
It took a year with the Jets before he was able to get his wish and play for the Vikings, but time has been able to heal the wound sufficiently.
Favre will return to Lambeau Field next week to be inducted to the team’s hall of fame, and will also have his jersey retired on Thanksgiving night.