So the Packers have decided to show Brett Favre the door, turn the page, move forward without their Hall of Famer waiting to happen.
Memo to BroncosNation: Are you thinking what I’m thinking? That, when it comes to icon quarterbacks leaving an organization, you had better be careful what you ask for?
John Elway walked away from the Broncos after the 1998 season. Since then, the Predominantly Orange have been predominantly average, winning one playoff game in nine seasons.
No, it wasn’t just Elway’s exodus. Far from it. Terrell Davis left, too. So did Gary Zimmerman, Shannon Sharpe and Ed McCaffrey. But none of those losses was as significant as Elway leaving the team.
With Elway, the Broncos played in five Super Bowls and won two. Without him, they’ve won one playoff game in nine years. Call it a coincidence if you want, as long as you call it something else: a fact.
Now come the Packers. The Broncos didn’t have any choice in Elway’s departure. At 38, his body was breaking down, most notably his left knee, which he had replaced last year.
Favre? He retired in March, only to change his mind in June. By early July, he desperately wanted to return, only to be told his services were no longer required.
Maybe it will work out. Maybe Aaron Rodgers will be the answer. But here and now, knowing what we know, you have to question the decision.
It isn’t just Elway. Other franchises, too, have struggled after losing icon QBs. I can think of one that had three — count ’em, three — winning seasons in 20 years after losing a Hall of Fame quarterback.
The name of that team? The Packers. Bart Starr retired after the 1971 season, whereupon the Pack had three winning seasons in a span of 20 years. And then some guy named Brett Favre arrived to save the franchise.
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
