Projo Sports Blog

By Mason Levinson
Bloomberg News

Boomer Esiason once took the path Brett Favre just began: a big-time quarterback from a small- market team joins the New York Jets under the nation's largest media microscope.

Esiason, a 14-year National Football League quarterback and its Most Valuable Player in 1988, left Cincinnati for the Jets and New York in 1993.

"It has so many different opinions, from newspapers, to talk-show hosts on radio, to television reporters, that Brett Favre will have a rude awakening," Esiason said in an interview with Bloomberg Radio's "On the Ball" program, airing Aug. 16. "He's a sensitive guy that's going to have to get used to this New York media."

Favre, a Mississippi native who led Green Bay for 16 seasons before retiring in March, stepped back into the spotlight when he decided in early July to return to the league. He joined the Jets a week ago in a trade that concluded a sometimes bitter, highly publicized separation from the Packers. The three-time league MVP turns 39 in October.

While given a fresh start, Favre missed part of Jets' training camp and said upon his arrival that the only familiar face was that of former Packers' teammate Bubba Franks.

"He has not played one down for the New York Jets, and it's just not going to be that easy for a 39-year-old quarterback to learn a new playbook, new players and a new coaching staff and expect some sort of smooth transition here," said Esiason, an analyst on CBS Inc.'s "NFL Today" show.

Esiason, whose Bengals reached the Super Bowl in 1989 before losing to San Francisco, didn't find similar success with the Jets, failing in three seasons to take the team to the postseason.

Jets This Year

He said considering Favre's ability and the team's offseason moves following a 4-12 season, the Jets may be a 10- win team if the quarterback has a "reasonably good" year.

"If he does three-quarters of what he did last year for Green Bay, he'll be fine," said Esiason, 47. "That will be considered a huge success and I believe the Jets will get into the playoffs. If he does half of what he did last year, it's a disaster of mammoth proportions."

Favre is scheduled to make $12 million in 2008, according to the NFL Players Association.

Last season, Favre led the Packers to a 13-3 regular-season record before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants in the National Football Conference title game. He threw 28 touchdowns while tossing 15 interceptions, his fewest in six years.
Chad Pennington

To acquire Favre, the Jets gave up a conditional draft pick that ESPN reported could be anywhere between a fourth- and first-rounder depending on Favre's and the team's performance. The Jets also cut veteran quarterback Chad Pennington, who led the team to the playoffs most recently in 2006, in favor of someone who's at least considered retirement after each of the last two seasons.

"Fifty percent of the NFL is probably saying this is good for the Jets, and 50 percent of the NFL is laughing at the Jets for this move," said Esiason, who's a spokesman for USA Football's "Play Football" campaign, a promotion to teach teamwork in the sport on the youth and amateur levels.

Favre will enter the season holding almost every record for NFL quarterbacks, having completed 5,377 passes for 61,655 yards, 442 touchdowns and 288 interceptions.

He also holds the marks for wins by a starting quarterback, with 160, and regular-season starts at the position, with 253.

As hordes of local and national media staked out Packers' training camp in the days that led up his trade, Favre said he remained mostly sequestered in his Mississippi home.

"If he actually gets to the Super Bowl, I can't even imagine what that will be like," Esiason said.

The Jets open their season Sept. 7 at Miami, likely facing Pennington, the Dolphins' new quarterback. The 43rd Super Bowl is Feb. 1 in Tampa, Florida.

 Tags  Boomer Esiason Brett Favre New York Jets

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