When Brett Favre announced his retirement, I wrote this :

"A few days ago Favre was lobbying for the Packers to get Moss. Right after Moss signs with the Patriots, Favre announces he is retiring. If he is not retiring because of Moss, then why is the timing so convienent, and why was he on board with improving the 2008 Packers a few days ago? Personally I feel this decision was made based on emotion, and I don't think Favre is done for good. This Packers team is a team that can compete. Their defense is young and extremely talented. Their offense is great at every position when you add Favre to the mix. I'm not counting out Aaron Rodgers as a good quarterback, but I am saying that I don't think Aaron Rodgers is as good of a quarterback as Favre."

So when I was sitting here watching ESPN News, waiting for updates on the NHL Free Agency front, it didn't surprise me much to see the following crawl across the bottom of the screen:

Breaking News: Brett Favre in contact with Packers about possible return

This was followed up by the newscasters saying that Favre had contacted the Packers, but the Packers may decide to go with Aaron Rodgers. I think bringing Favre back would be the best move for the Packers to win next year, but is this the best move for the Packers' future?

The Favre/Green Bay scenario is like that couple back in school that kept breaking up, getting back together, breaking up, getting back together, rinse, repeat. Now Green Bay has a new interest in Aaron Rodgers, but could be tempted by another chance with Favre. Even though Favre gives this team the best chance to win next year, signing him could be a mistake.

The last two years the future of the Packers has been in doubt at the quarterback position, thanks to Favre's annual retirement dance. That future has reached a critical point heading in to the 2008 season. Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback of the future in Green Bay, but is only under contract through the 2009 season. If Green Bay brings Favre back for 2008, they ensure the same retirement dance next off-season. The problem they run in to is the questions surrounding Rodgers.

What exactly does Green Bay have with Rodgers? We saw how he performed against Dallas, going 18 for 26, for 201 yards and a touchdown. What can he do over a full season? No one knows. The Packers have two years to evaluate Rogers as their quarterback before having to make a decision to renew his contract. If Favre returns for the 2008 season, and retires again next off-season, the Packers have just one year to determine if Rodgers is a legit quarterback.

We've seen guys like Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning show early success in their first year starting in the NFL, but that's not always the case. How about Drew Brees, who passed for 28 touchdowns and 31 interceptions in his first two years as a starter, before his breakout year in 2004 where he passed for 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions? Then there's Carson Palmer, who passed for 18 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, hardly an indicator of his performance since that first season.

It may be a tough move to make, but the right move for the Packers is to finally sever the ties with Favre. He gave them a Super Bowl, and he gave them a nice run last season, but it is finally time to move on. The Packers have a talented young defense led by AJ Hawk and Nick Barnett. They've got a great young running back in Ryan Grant, and talented receivers in Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. This is a perfect scenario for a first year starter like Aaron Rodgers. The Packers need a young quarterback to lead their young team for years to come. This is needed more than Brett Favre returning to make one more run at a Super Bowl, and putting the Packers' future in doubt.