Spring Break
Jets QB Brett Favre to retire
Associated Press
Issue date: 2/12/09 Section: News
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The 39-year-old quarterback called the New York Jets on Wednesday morning to say he's retiring after 18 seasons, ending a record-setting career in which he became one of the NFL's all-time greats.
"He felt he had given us everything he had," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said, "and it was time for him to move on."
Favre, who retired last March only to return with the Jets, kept this goodbye simple - no tearful farewell or jam-packed news conference.
His decision came six weeks after his only season with the Jets ended in disappointment as New York failed to make the playoffs. In an e-mail to ESPN, Favre said he had no regrets about finishing his career in New York and praised Tannenbaum, owner Woody Johnson and fired coach Eric Mangini.
"My time with the Jets was short, but I'm honored to be given that chance," Favre wrote in the e-mail.
If this is indeed it for Favre, he leaves the game with a slew of records, including career touchdown passes (464), completions (5,720), yards passing (65,127), regular-season victories (169) and interceptions (310).
"With Brett, there was always the possibility that he wouldn't play the second year," Johnson said. "We were hoping to get one good year out of Brett Favre. We picked him based on, in our opinion, his giving us the best chance to win last season. We were disappointed not to have made the Super Bowl, but we did some very good things with Brett."
And the team doesn't expect Favre, acquired by New York last August after a bitter breakup with Green Bay, to change his mind.
"He did not ask to be released," Tannenbaum said. "Everything he said was, he is done playing football. We have our plan according to that, and we're going to move forward."
Running back Thomas Jones and safety Kerry Rhodes were critical after the season of Favre and his performance. The Jets went from 8-3 to missing the playoffs. Favre threw nine interceptions as the Jets went 1-4 down the stretch, and a torn right biceps might have contributed.
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