Dan Pompei

Of course the Brett Favre saga has ended badly.

But it hasn't ended. It will truly end only when Favre retires for good. Or should we say if Favre retires for good.

Judging from the Packers actions, they must believe Favre's NFL career will end as badly as his Packers career did. If the Packers did not believe Favre was a player in decline with little left, they probably would not have rolled his wheelchair into the highway in trading him to the New York Jets.

Judging from what other quarterbacks have done at Favre's age, the Packers might be right.

Most great quarterbacks retired before they got to be 38, Favre's age. Dan Marino, the player who might be most comparable to Favre, had the worst year of his career at 38. He won six of 13 starts, completed only 55.3 percent of his passes and had a 67.4 passer rating before being shoved out the door.

Hall of Famer Len Dawson played until he was 40, but the results after 37 weren't great. He had a 74.3 passer rating and a 7-11 record in the 19 games he started. Dawson threw 22 interceptions to 14 touchdowns in his last three years.

Warren Moon played until he was 44, but threw only 16 passes his last two years. Not including those seasons, he wasn't a great passer once he turned 38. Moon had a 78 passer rating in those years, and threw 66 interceptions to 65 touchdowns. He did, however, make a Pro Bowl at the age of 41.

The Jets can draw hope from Joe Montana, who won nine of his 15 starts with the Chiefs as a 38-year-old in his final season. Montana had a passer rating that year of 83.6. He threw 16 touchdowns to nine interceptions. Montana wasn't the Montana who owned the league in his last gasp, but he was a functional quarterback who did not embarrass himself.

Packers trade Favre to Jets Opinion: Favre bigger than Jeter, A-Rod in NYC Curran: Brett in Big Apple? Let fun begin! Ask the Expert: Is Favre too old at age 38? Opinion: History tells us this just won't fly Favre to make big splash  |  No, he won't Timeline of events leading up to trade Vote: How will Jets fare with Favre? Vote: Jets or Packers to go further in 08? Fantasy impact: Don't expect big numbers Opinion: Packers' actions are pure insanity   Slide show: A record-breaking career

And it should be noted that Favre is different from any quarterback who went before him because he never has had a serious injury. How that will affect him is unclear. He has more wear and tear on his body from throwing more passes than any player in history and playing more snaps than any quarterback ever. But he doesn't have any major physical issues that we know of.

Advances in medicine, training and nutrition should benefit Favre and the subsequent generations of quarterbacks. It's easier to play longer now than it was a decade ago. And it will be easier still in another 10 years.

Favre has something else going for him. He had an incredible season as a 37-year old. He quarterbacked his team to the NFC Championship game. He had the fourth best completion percentage in the NFL (66.5) while also having the third best average per completion. He had the sixth best passer rating in the league (95.7). And he passed for more yards than all but three players.

Unless Favre has gone completely to pot over the course of one offseason, he should be able to perform better than most of the quarterbacks in the NFL, even if he isn't a top three quarterback like he was last season. There is no reason he should not be playing at a very high level this season.

Beyond this year, we can't say. Players at Favre's age have to be judged year to year. But right now, he has the skill. And it certainly appears he has the fire within. For the first time in a long time, Favre has something to prove.

Betting against him, as the Packers are doing, might not be very prudent.

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