Jared Allen tried to tell Brett Favre to stay retired before the 2010 season, but he wouldn’t listen.
Vikings owner Zygi Wilf sent Allen, Steve Hutchinson and Ryan Longwell to Mississippi to convince Favre to come back, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Hutchinson and Longwell carried out the owner’s orders. But Allen, ever the maverick, told Favre it would be OK if he didn’t come out of retirement.
The majority prevailed and Favre did come back for the 2010 season. Had 2009 been his last season, his exit would have been a lot more graceful. Favre led the Vikings to a 12-4 record and an appearance in the NFC championship game that year. In 2010, the 41-year-old Favre threw 19 interceptions, with just 11 touchdown passes, for the 6-10 Vikings.
Allen trying to convince Favre to stay retired brings to mind the scene in “Rocky” in which Mickey tells Rocky to “stay down” after he is knocked down by Apollo Creed. Rocky didn’t win the fight in the original, but at least he achieved his goal of going the distance.
Favre didn’t even go the distance in 2010. His consecutive games streak ended at 321 games when he was knocked out of a game against the Bears with a concussion in Week 15. He didn’t play again.
Rarely does an athlete’s career have a movie-script ending.
[NFL.com]
