The Green Bay Packers expect to retire former quarterback Brett Favre’s number before 2016, when Favre will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Answering a fan’s question on the Packers’ website, Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy said he thinks the time is coming for Favre to be honored by the team.
“I am often asked questions about Brett Favre, and specifically whether we will retire his number,” Murphy wrote. “We do want to bring Brett back into the fold, and plan on retiring his number. He deserves to have his number retired for what he accomplished, and meant to the Packers, during his time here. I thought Aaron Rodgers and Brett jointly presenting the Comeback Player of the Year Award at the NFL Honors program was a great first step. It is really just a question of timing in terms of retiring his jersey. The timing has to be right for both Brett and the organization. Brett will be a first ballot Hall of Famer in 2016, and we would like to retire his number prior to his induction.”
Murphy said the bad blood that existed between Favre and Packers fans when Favre played for the Vikings is beginning to dissipate.
“I know that many of our fans were upset that Brett played for the Vikings,” Murphy wrote. “As time goes by, though, I think wounds are healed and people focus more on the great things he did for the team during his 16 years here. As the recent signings by Greg Jennings and Desmond Bishop show, many players in the League go on to play for rivals later in their careers.”
And as time passes, most of those players are remembered mostly for their best years. Favre will be remembered as a great Packer.