Brady vs. Favre. How Would it Play Out Here?
I ran into someone recently who is from Wisconsin and is a huge Green Bay Packers fan. It’s amazing, out in Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre is a legend and is someone that fans out there view in the same way that all of us here in New England view quarterback Tom Brady. I couldn’t help but wonder if the same scenario going on out there now was to play out here how it would end up.
Needless to say here’s my version, with the understanding that Bill Belichick eventually calls it a career in a few years and Dom Capers takes over. I also have Matt Gutierrez as the QB as the future, but only because Matt Cassel struggled last year and isn’t performing so well early on in camp. We don’t have a definitive Aaron Rodgers type of replacement for Brady, so this example is just for the sake of making the point for this post. Considering the fact that the Packers also have a head coach who hasn’t been with Favre their whole career, that’s also the reason to inject Capers into this scenario for a more accurate comparison since all of us know the regard Belichick has for Brady.
Brady Set to File For Reinstatement
After leading the team to the AFC Championship game last season, 38-year old quarterback Tom Brady has decided that after retiring back in March he’d like one more shot at a ring.
Whether or not it will be in New England is another story.
Brady has announced he will be filing with the league for reinstatement, and intends on reporting to training camp when the team opens camp next week in Foxboro. This isn’t good news for Patriots quarterback Matt Gutierrez who is about to deal with a media frenzy after head coach Dom Capers had said previously the team is committed to him for the future and had accepted Brady’s retirement.
“Tom obviously is someone who we all appreciate and admire for what he did for this franchise,” Capers told reporters in a press conference earlier this week. “Should he decide to return we definitely have a place for him here with the team, but for now Matt is our guy and the quarterback we’re planning on moving forward with heading into training camp.”
Brady won three Superbowls for the Patriots, winning Superbowl XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX, and also instrumented an undefeated season in 2007. After five years where the team went deep into the playoffs and came up short, Brady decided after losing in the AFC Championship game against Indianapolis that it was time to call it a career. However five months later he shocked the team with his decision to return, which has sent everything into a tailspin after the Patriots have gone through all the rookie and minicamps with Gutierrez taking all the snaps.
“Matt’s already spent plenty of time getting comfortable with the offense and has become a leader in the locker room,” said Capers. “It’s a role that he’s settled into, and with Tom now back in the mix it obviously creates a difficult situation that we’ll do our best to deal with.”
As for Brady he’s not happy, and his intention is to come into training camp and earn back the starting role. If he’s not able to start he’s asked for the team to at least release him or trade him elsewhere.
“I still feel I can play at a high level,” said Brady. “We obviously fell short last season, and I feel like we have a great group of players and I like our chances to compete for a championship this season. If they decide they don’t want to move forward with me, then they should at least give me the opportunity to play somewhere else.”
It’s obviously a difficult scenario for the Patriots quarterback who has become a legend in New England and most certainly a future hall of famer. Fans will now just have to see how it plays out, but it appears that a long week lies ahead.
So. How Would You React? Post a comment and give us your thoughts?
Posted Under: 2008 Patriots Preseason
Tags: Aaron Rodgers Brett Favre Green Bay Packers Matt Cassel New England Patriots Tom Brady
