It’s amazing. Just when he was officially retired once again, Brett Favre “un-retired”, agreeing to come back to Minnesota for two more years of football. This move is getting all kinds of media attention and generating excitement in Minnesota, but I really don’t see the big deal.

First, I’ll start with the obvious: his age. He’s already 39 years old, and will be turning 40 in October. While QB’s tend to be able to play later than other positions such as RB, even QB’s usually hit the wall at 40 years old. And even though he’s proven to be one of the toughest players in NFL history, his body may not be able to take any more punishment. He’s got plenty of wear and tear on him that makes him very susceptible to injury. Not to mention…

He was operated on last season. His bicep injury put him under the knife, and he still has his torn rotator cuff. None of these things bode well for someone Favre’s age. Sure, he’s accomplished a lot through the course of his career, but he’s 40 years old. He can’t go on forever. A perfect analogy to Favre is John Smoltz, who’s finally starting to give after seeming ageless for so many years.

In New York last season, Favre began to taper later in the season. Many interceptions and much inconsistency cost the Jets a few games. Favre’s 9 INTs during the final five weeks of the season were far more than Tarvaris Jackson’s 1 INT during the final four weeks of the season. Who’s to say that Favre is a better option?

Then there’s the whole issue of team chemistry. It seemed like Jackson had a close bond with his wide receivers. This is a critical element to a team’s success. Favre, on the other hand, is coming into a team that he doesn’t know, missed an entire training camp, and will have no rapport with any of his receivers.

Aside from his chemistry with the receivers, how about his chemistry with the rest of the team? Last year after the Jets missed the playoffs (largely thanks to Favre’s poor play down the stretch), many Jets players, including Thomas Jones, commented about how Favre didn’t dress with the team and didn’t stay in the same hotel room, among other things. Oh yeah, Favre seems like a real team player. Just the kind of guy I want to be the leader of my team. The Vikings were already “expecting” a playoff berth and were even considered one of the top teams in the NFC, without Favre leading the team. With the addition of Favre, many people have elevated the Vikings to Super Bowl contender status, which I believe is preposterous. As I showed earlier, Favre faded down the stretch. So what does that mean about the playoffs? He hasn’t been very good in the playoffs recently, and if the Vikings don’t win the Super Bowl, or at least make it there, the season will be considered a bust, and the Favre acquisition a waste. I mean, they already have arguably the best running game in the NFL and the best run defense in the NFL, so they have the foundation for a playoff team in place. If Favre can’t get them a Super Bowl, and only gets them into the playoffs, then what was the point of adding Favre in the first place?

I understand where the Vikings are coming from. They probably won’t contend without Favre. This will increase ratings, sell more tickets, and might give them a shot to go big this year, but I don’t think he’s the future in Minnesota and you have to wonder what they’ll do after him.

Due to his aging, his chemistry issues, and everything else, I don’t see why Favre will be the answer in Minnesota this year. He’s more of a name than a major talent at this point in his career, and he’ll remain one of the greatest to ever play the game. But not these games.