Brett Favre will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday so naturally the comparisons with Aaron Rodgers are going to come up. I am here to do just that, but not the way most pundits will. I’m not going to through stats out there to try and prove a point, I’m just going to go by who I like the best.
For all intents and purposes, their careers are almost identical. Both won Super Bowls early in their career, both were named MVP multiple times, and both have suffered mind-boggling defeats in the playoffs.
It’s funny that their careers are so similar because they are polar opposites as players. Favre was the gunslinger who threw a ton of interceptions but always seemed to pull the game out in the end. Rodgers’ dislike for throwing picks is well documented, he would rather take the sack then throw a pick.
I personally think Favre was more fun to watch play, anything could happen and usually did. His ability to overcome the interceptions never ceases to amaze. He may have thrown the most interceptions in NFL history but when he retired he had also won more games than any QB in history. That is amazing to me. He put the team on his back.
Rodgers is the more polished passer by far, and a far better threat with his feet. Rodgers is also a student of the game and knows the offense better than the coaches probably. He is precise in his passing and expects the same precision from his receivers. He doesn’t have the comeback wins like Favre mostly because he has had better teams around him that usually are in the lead. He’s also has had several comebacks voided by poor defense.
For me it just comes down to who do I like the best. Long time readers of Packernet will remember me bashing the OG pretty hard after an ugly loss, but I now realize I clearly got spoiled by his greatness. The ability Favre had to improvise, adapt, and overcome is what I think sets him apart from any QB in NFL history, and why I like Brett better than Aaron.
I think because om my age I am probably bias toward Brett. I lived through the 70s and 80s when losing was a way of life and then watched this young guy from MIssissippi come in and almost single handedly turn around a moribund franchise. I really believe without Favre the Packers would not be in Green Bay today. No way that stadium referendum passes if the Packers were going 4-12 every year.
The Packers are incredibly fortunate to have two great quarterbacks back-to-back like that. I’m not calling Rodgers a Hall of Famer yet, I think he needs more on his resume for that to happen, but is headed in that direction. I just liked Brett’s style of play better, I liked watching him have fun out there, tackling his receivers after TD catches, jawing with opposing lineman, stiff-arming his way into the endzone, good times.
Congratulations Brett! Well deserved. And thanks for saving the Green Bay Packers.