Mike Triplett and Gene Chamberlain, For Sporting News
First impressions from around the NFL after the news broke that Vikings QB Brett Favre reportedly will retire rather than return for a 20th NFL season:
"I don’t believe anything until it’s official."
— Saints QB Drew Brees
Nick Barnett says he’s prepared to either play Brett Favre hard or congratulate him.
"It’s like believing in Santa Claus. You get gifts, but you ain’t seen Santa Claus. We’ll see what happens … If he does retire, congratulations. It’s a well-deserved retirement. But if he does come back, we’ll be gunning for him the same way."
— Packers ILB Nick Barnett
"Are you serious? I don’t care. He hasn’t been here for two years."
— Jets C Nick Mangold
"I hope he doesn’t come back. I mean, he had a great career. But he’s our opponent now, and it’ll benefit us if he doesn’t come back. But if he does I wish him all the luck."
— Bears RB Chester Taylor
"There’s a lot of time between now and Sept. 9. … Has there ever been a final chapter (with Favre)? We haven’t seen a final chapter yet in that book. It’s still ongoing. Even in the middle of the season, it could still be an ongoing thing."
— Saints S Darren Sharper on the Saints-Vikings season opener
"If it is (true), then we were lucky enough to watch an unbelievable talent and great guy. But it’s better to go the year before than a year too late."
— Cowboys QB Tony Romo
"They have a great running game. Their receivers stepped up last year, especially Sidney Rice. You look at their defense: They still have all the parts. They still may be looked at as the favorites in the conference without Brett Favre. I don’t think it drops them down the rung too much."
— Bears TE Desmond Clark
"I haven’t seen the film where he’s said it … and we’ve also seen the film where he’s said it and he came back. So hey, let’s see. If he’s not there Thursday night (Sept. 9), that’s when I’ll believe it."
— Saints DE Alex Brown
"I’m just worried about our team right now. Obviously, if he’s playing, his presence on the field, you have to account for. If he’s not, you have to prepare for who’s playing in his place."
— Saints coach Sean Payton
"As a defense, we got after them and they got after us. It was a great game, and the main thing was we came out with a win and went to the Super Bowl. You take pride in tough divisional games like that, to reach your goal."
— Saints DE Bobby McCray said of the NFC championship game vs. the Vikings
"If this is it, and he does hang it up, it will definitely be a loss to the NFL. We’ll be losing a really, really great player and a legend to this sport."
— Saints DE Alex Brown
"I won’t believe it until I see Tarvaris Jackson starting against us. If he’s starting, we’ll go from there. Either way, we’ve still got a job to do."
— Bears OLB Lance Briggs
"He’s definitely a guy that is walking away from the game that is going to be missed. He’s established that he’s a future Hall of Famer. He’s one of the big names from the league that’s going to be missed."
— Falcons OLB Mike Peterson
"I just caught wind of it. That’s a Minnesota Vikings situation that they’ve got to address. I’m excited about our special teams practice today."
— Falcons coach Mike Smith
"You never know that’s going to happen. Who knows if that’s legit or what. Until you actually go through a season, you never know that’s going to happen."
— Packers RT Mark Tauscher
"I will not believe anything about him retiring until I see on that first day that he’s not playing. Brett’s a great competitor and it’s always hard for him to give it up. He always weighs his decisions back and forth, but he has always come back. Until I see him not out there, then that’s when I’ll believe that. … We’ve got a tough road ahead of us regardless of whether he’s with Minnesota or not. They’re a great team."
— Packers DE Cullen Jenkins
"Do I believe it? I don’t even know if I care enough to believe it or not, to be honest. It’s his career; he’s got to do what he’s got to do. But it doesn’t change anything for us. We’re going to have the same goal whether it’s Tarvaris (Jackson), Jeffrey Dahmer or Norman Bates quarterbacking."
— Packers ILB Nick Barnett
"I can’t think about another team and what they’re doing at camp and things of that nature. I know Brett on a personal level, so I’m happy for him, but we’re worried about us getting better out there. Minnesota’s going to be a good ballclub."
— Cowboys QB Tony Romo
"I’m sure he’s probably thought about that and is tired of playing that game, but I’m still going to hold off on making judgment until the end of camp or the end of the season. He might have that itch again."
— Cowboys TE Jason Witten
"It’s like Groundhog Day for him. They’ve still got what, a month left in training camp? Give him about a week and a half. He’ll change his mind."
— Cowboys WR Patrick Crayton
Sporting News correspondents Mike Triplett, J.P. Pelzman, Gene Chamberlain, D. Orlando Ledbetter, Tom Silverstein, Jean-Jacques Taylor plus The Associated Press contributed.
Mike Triplett and Gene Chamberlain, For Sporting News
First impressions from around the NFL after the news broke that Vikings QB Brett Favre reportedly will retire rather than return for a 20th NFL season:
"I don’t believe anything until it’s official."
— Saints QB Drew Brees
Nick Barnett says he’s prepared to either play Brett Favre hard or congratulate him.
"It’s like believing in Santa Claus. You get gifts, but you ain’t seen Santa Claus. We’ll see what happens … If he does retire, congratulations. It’s a well-deserved retirement. But if he does come back, we’ll be gunning for him the same way."
— Packers ILB Nick Barnett
"Are you serious? I don’t care. He hasn’t been here for two years."
— Jets C Nick Mangold
"I hope he doesn’t come back. I mean, he had a great career. But he’s our opponent now, and it’ll benefit us if he doesn’t come back. But if he does I wish him all the luck."
— Bears RB Chester Taylor
"There’s a lot of time between now and Sept. 9. … Has there ever been a final chapter (with Favre)? We haven’t seen a final chapter yet in that book. It’s still ongoing. Even in the middle of the season, it could still be an ongoing thing."
— Saints S Darren Sharper on the Saints-Vikings season opener
"If it is (true), then we were lucky enough to watch an unbelievable talent and great guy. But it’s better to go the year before than a year too late."
— Cowboys QB Tony Romo
"They have a great running game. Their receivers stepped up last year, especially Sidney Rice. You look at their defense: They still have all the parts. They still may be looked at as the favorites in the conference without Brett Favre. I don’t think it drops them down the rung too much."
— Bears TE Desmond Clark
"I haven’t seen the film where he’s said it … and we’ve also seen the film where he’s said it and he came back. So hey, let’s see. If he’s not there Thursday night (Sept. 9), that’s when I’ll believe it."
— Saints DE Alex Brown
"I’m just worried about our team right now. Obviously, if he’s playing, his presence on the field, you have to account for. If he’s not, you have to prepare for who’s playing in his place."
— Saints coach Sean Payton
"As a defense, we got after them and they got after us. It was a great game, and the main thing was we came out with a win and went to the Super Bowl. You take pride in tough divisional games like that, to reach your goal."
— Saints DE Bobby McCray said of the NFC championship game vs. the Vikings
"If this is it, and he does hang it up, it will definitely be a loss to the NFL. We’ll be losing a really, really great player and a legend to this sport."
— Saints DE Alex Brown
"I won’t believe it until I see Tarvaris Jackson starting against us. If he’s starting, we’ll go from there. Either way, we’ve still got a job to do."
— Bears OLB Lance Briggs
"He’s definitely a guy that is walking away from the game that is going to be missed. He’s established that he’s a future Hall of Famer. He’s one of the big names from the league that’s going to be missed."
— Falcons OLB Mike Peterson
"I just caught wind of it. That’s a Minnesota Vikings situation that they’ve got to address. I’m excited about our special teams practice today."
— Falcons coach Mike Smith
"You never know that’s going to happen. Who knows if that’s legit or what. Until you actually go through a season, you never know that’s going to happen."
— Packers RT Mark Tauscher
"I will not believe anything about him retiring until I see on that first day that he’s not playing. Brett’s a great competitor and it’s always hard for him to give it up. He always weighs his decisions back and forth, but he has always come back. Until I see him not out there, then that’s when I’ll believe that. … We’ve got a tough road ahead of us regardless of whether he’s with Minnesota or not. They’re a great team."
— Packers DE Cullen Jenkins
"Do I believe it? I don’t even know if I care enough to believe it or not, to be honest. It’s his career; he’s got to do what he’s got to do. But it doesn’t change anything for us. We’re going to have the same goal whether it’s Tarvaris (Jackson), Jeffrey Dahmer or Norman Bates quarterbacking."
— Packers ILB Nick Barnett
"I can’t think about another team and what they’re doing at camp and things of that nature. I know Brett on a personal level, so I’m happy for him, but we’re worried about us getting better out there. Minnesota’s going to be a good ballclub."
— Cowboys QB Tony Romo
"I’m sure he’s probably thought about that and is tired of playing that game, but I’m still going to hold off on making judgment until the end of camp or the end of the season. He might have that itch again."
— Cowboys TE Jason Witten
"It’s like Groundhog Day for him. They’ve still got what, a month left in training camp? Give him about a week and a half. He’ll change his mind."
— Cowboys WR Patrick Crayton
Sporting News correspondents Mike Triplett, J.P. Pelzman, Gene Chamberlain, D. Orlando Ledbetter, Tom Silverstein, Jean-Jacques Taylor plus The Associated Press contributed.
