Now that Brett Favre is (probably) done playing football for good, he’d like to repair his image with the Green Bay fans who once loved him and now loathe him. And the way he wants to do that is to repair his relationship with his successor as Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.
One Packers player told Mike Freeman of CBS that Favre would like to reach out to Rodgers, but he’s worried that it might backfire and make him look bad.
“This is one of those situations where Brett can’t win,” the player, who didn’t want his name used, said. “If he calls Aaron it looks like he’s grandstanding. If he doesn’t, he seems like he’s selfish and inconsiderate. I can tell you Brett wants to speak to Aaron. He really does and it’s sincere. I don’t know if they’ve spoken yet. I just know Brett wants to bury the hatchet.”
The player also said it’s not clear whether Rodgers has any desire to talk to Favre.
“The big issue is will Aaron want to take the call,” he said. “That I don’t know. The bitterness remains deep.”
Rodgers apparently still doesn’t like the way Favre handled his comeback in 2008, when Favre announced his retirement and Rodgers entered training camp as the starter, only to have Favre create a stir by saying he would play after all. That was the point when the Packers chose Rodgers and traded Favre to the Jets. And Rodgers reportedly tried to reach out to Favre more recently, only to have Favre snub him.
Eventually, Favre will surely have his number retired at a Lambeau Field ceremony, and the same Green Bay fans who booed Favre off the field when the teams met in 2010 will cheer him again. But it may be a while before Rodgers is ready to embrace Favre.