Wide White: The sun sets on Favre's career

I may have been born in and now live in Minnesota, but I grew up in Wisconsin and will always be a Packer fan (despite my wife's purple inclinations). As such, this news is easily the top story of the ~~day~~ week.

Brett Favre to retire from Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Brett Favre era is over.

The man who has been the Green Bay Packers' starting quarterback for all but three games of the last 16 seasons, the only quarterback an entire generation of Packers fans has known is retiring.

The Packers officially announced Favre's retirement Tuesday morning.

"Brett Favre has informed us of his intention to retire from the Green Bay Packers and the NFL," general manager Ted Thompson said in a statement. "He has had one of the greatest careers in the history of the National Football League, and he is able to walk away from the game on his own terms — not many players are able to do that.

"The Packers owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude. He has given Packers fans 16 years of wonderful memories, a Super Bowl championship among them, that will live on forever. Brett's many accomplishments on the field are legendary. He leaves the game holding virtually every career passing record, plus his consecutive starts streak, which may never be duplicated.

"The uniqueness of Brett Favre — his personality, charisma and love of the game — undoubtedly will leave him as one of the enduring figures in NFL history."

Favre's brother, Scott, was the first to release the news, telling the Biloxi (Miss.) Sun Herald that Favre planned to retire.

ESPN.com's Chris Mortensen said on ESPN Tuesday morning that Favre had left a voice-mail message for him, confirming his retirement. "It sounded absolute," Mortensen told viewers.

Mortensen said Favre, 38, told him his decision to retire was based on the "mental wear and tear" of another NFL season, and that he couldn't commit to it again. He said Favre was "mentally worn down" from the intense game preparation demanded during the course of an NFL season.

According to Mortensen, Favre also said he and his wife, Deanna, agreed that "anything short of winning a Super Bowl would be a disappointment" and not worth the time.

Favre said his relationship with Packers coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson is good, and played no role in his retirement decision, Mortensen reported.

"It's more about the mental wear and tear," Mortensen said.

Fans were sorry to hear the news, but happy to have had Favre for as long as they did.

"Brett Favre doesn't owe us anything," said Lee Nelson of Seymour, Wis., a season-ticket holder since 1965. "Last season, he went out on a high note. It's a shame his last pass was an interception."

The Packers acquired Favre in a trade with Atlanta on Feb. 10, 1992, sending a first-round pick to the Falcons for the little-used rookie from Southern Mississippi.

Favre emerged as the Packers' quarterback after Don Majkowski went down with an ankle injury in the third game of the 1992 season, stepping in and rallying Green Bay to a 24-23 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on a sunny Sept. 20 at Lambeau Field.

Favre started the next game — a 17-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lambeau Field on Sept. 27, 1992. No one else has started at quarterback for the Packers since. He has started 255 consecutive games, an NFL record for quarterbacks.

He also helped end Green Bay's 29-year championship drought, leading the Packers to a 35-21 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI on Jan. 26, 1997.

Favre ends his 17-year career as the NFL's career leader in several passing categories, including 61,655 passing yards, 8,758 passing attempts, 5,377 completions, 442 touchdown passes and 160 victories.