Cut Favre some slack

Quarterback has always taken time before making big decisions, and he has always lived up to his word, says PackerReport.com's Todd Korth

Less than three weeks ago, Brett Favre announced his retirement from football in a heartfelt, tearful press conference at Lambeau Field. Now, because the quarterback has yet to file his retirement papers, some are wondering if he is having second thoughts about playing football again.

C'mon. Sure, it has been awfully quiet around Lambeau Field since Favre's retirement, but the thought of Favre suddenly changing his mind about football is ludicrous. For those who were at the press conference, including this scribe, the league's all-time passing leader made it quite clear that he is done playing football. In fact, he reportedly made up his mind on retirement more than a year ago when he secretly told a former Southern Miss recruiter of his intensions to leave the game.

Favre has always taken his time in making big decisions, and this current case of filing retirement papers is another example. Favre waited a number of years before finally marrying his high school sweetheart, Deanna. In the last three or four seasons, he took his time before deciding to return to play with the Packers.

One thing you have to admire about Favre is that he has always been true to his word. When he makes up his mind, he follows through. He vowed to lead the Packers to a Super Bowl victory in the mid-1990s, and he did. He vowed throughout his career to be regarded as the best NFL quarterback ever, and he has lived up to those standards in the eyes of many observers.

Waiting a few months to file retirement papers is not uncommon among veterans who retire from the game. Think about it, Favre played in the NFL for 17 seasons, so what's another month, or two, or three before he makes it official?

It doesn't mean that 19 days after his farewell press conference, he has suddenly changed his mind. I admit, that when the news first leaked of Favre's retirement, I was skeptical. I initally felt that he will eventually return to playing football, possibly as soon as this year. But after sitting through his hour-long press conference on March 6, I am convinced that he is moving on with his life. Let's give him a little room. He deserves it.