Receiver Donald Driver had a selfish reason for wanting Brett Favre to come back for another season.
In his nine-year pro career with the Packers to this point, all with Favre as the starting quarterback, Driver has positioned himself as one of the club's most prolific pass catchers. Driver has 503 receptions to rank third in team annals. He trails No. 2 James Lofton by 27 and leader Sterling Sharpe by 92.
Unfortunately for Driver in his pursuit of the record, Favre informed the team in early March he was retiring.
"It would've been a great duo to do that," Driver said. "But, now, I've got to do it with A-Rod."
A-Rod is Favre's heir apparent, Aaron Rodgers, who will finally get his chance to be the full-time guy under center after three years in wait as a first-round draft pick.
Driver said he learned of Favre's retirement shortly after the news broke on the morning of March 4 while in Mexico with his wife to mark their wedding anniversary. Driver received a text message on his cell phone from a friend and was surprised by Favre's decision.
"I'm going to miss him a lot," Driver said. "We go back (nine) years. ... When I first walked in here in 1999, I was so star-shocked when I saw him. He threw me my first ball, I ran up to him and gave him the ball back. He smiled and said, 'Donald, you're going to get plenty more of those.' That's the thing that I'll miss more about him -- just his character, the way he plays the game."
Upon returning home from the getaway and digesting what Favre had to say in his farewell news conference March 6 in Green Bay, Driver said he believes his former teammate when he said he's done playing. What's more, Driver doesn't expect to see Favre return for any team-related functions at least initially next season, which Favre suggested that he would.
"In his interview I was laughing because he was talking about coming back (to be an honorary guest) for the coin toss," Driver said. "The first thing I said, 'He ain't coming back for no coin toss.' He's going to be a ghost. I think that's the thing, that he has to get away from the game for a while."