Brett Favre First Ballot Hall-Of-Famer

Is Brett Favre a first-ballot Hall of Famer?

By John Lee                                                                                                                                                           August 8, 2011

It’s that time of year again. About this time every year the infamous "Favre watch" turns on. You know what I’m talking about. It’s the middle of training camp and the first preseason game is coming up. But yet there hasn’t been any talk other than speculation of him going to the Eagles or Dolphins. So it makes one wonder, is he done? Let’s face it; he doesn’t have anything to prove anymore. He took the Vikings to the NFC Championship game in 2009, then threw his 500^th touchdown pass and ended his start streak at 297 in 2010. So the question now becomes, is Brett Favre a first-ballot Hall of Famer. If he is truly done, he, along with Randy Moss (if he is also truly done), will be eligible for the Hall of Fame together before the 2015 season. Let’s weigh the reasons why he is or isn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Why He Is:

Let’s start with his accomplishments. Brett has been the NFL MVP three times in his career, a number untied and only broken by Peyton Manning.  If Brett Favre is finished, he has thrown 508 TDs and 71, 838 yards. He is also the only quarterback to have a victory over every team in the NFL. He has also been selected to 11 Pro Bowls and has a Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XXXI. Then there is the famous streak of 297 starts, not including playoffs. If Peyton Manning, the only one close, were to tie the record, under the current 16-game format, it would not be until Week 9 of the 2016 NFL season; Peyton would be going on 41 years old. Those are the statistical reasons. Brett made the game fun for people to watch and fun for the other players on the field. You can’t help but to think of Brett Favre and think of the fun he would have in the locker room as well as the fun he had on the field. While he is now ridiculed for his indecisiveness on whether or not he will retire, the fact of the matter is, it’s a show for his love of the game. Brett didn’t want to leave a game that he loved so much.

Why He Isn’t

Also on the reasons for why he is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, he was somewhat annoying with his indecisiveness on retirement. He also holds the record for the most sacks, fumble, and interceptions by a quarterback. Not to mention perhaps his biggest piece of controversy; his scandal with former Jets employee, Jenn Sterger.  Brett did things his way; he wouldn’t listen to the coaches and argued with two or three of them, including Brad Childress and Mike Holmgrem. Brett thought for sure he could fit the ball in a window the size of a rabbit hole. If there was an Achilles heel to the incredible Brett Favre, it was his hard-headedness.

There is no doubt Brett Favre will be a legend in the NFL. He will most likely be inducted into the Hall of Fame, whether it be first-ballot or later. Brett certainly was a quarterback in a league of his own, and that can be both a positive and a negative takeaway from this article.