by Brian Keith Compton

Created on: August 30, 2009

You ask any other NFL quarterback and they'll say, he's earned the right. Just don't ask Tavaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels who were competing for the job now anchored in Minnesota by Brett Favre. Well you could ask them. You just might not get a straight answer.

The Vikings are in a unique position with one of the top signal callers of all time. It's all in on a Super Bowl bid this year with Adrian Peterson at running back. Favre is the one piece that befits a franchise's long puzzling bid to finally win the big one.

Granted he is nearly 40, but the old man gives this team an edge. He will keep honest those defenses that stack nine men at the line of scrimmage. He knows the Viking offense and can exploit any schemes teams might run at him. But he gives you so much more than knowing how to complete passes.

Favre can give this team a mental edge, the needed confidence to believe there is a purpose to this season. The team will gel and create an identity that will make them a force to reckon with. They should earn respect this season.

Reasons like these compelled Favre to come out of retirement, and just when it appeared he'd finally given up on the game. The will-he-or-won't-he media circus was a lot of speculation. Fans grew tired of a drama mostly cooked up by sports pundits who wanted to be the first to scoop another comeback. You know it takes on a life of its own when helicopters are buzzing a practice field somewhere in Minnesota. Favre had nothing to do with that.

Some will say 'what about the money?' Well, sure. The Vikings threw $25 million at him to make it worth his while. And again, he's earned the right to be paid as one of the top quarterbacks. Especially, when he provides a service that befits a title-contending team.

Time will only tell if coming out of retirement was the right choice. For one, we'll be watching that surgically repaired arm. The tendon was one thing, but to discover he's got a screw loose in that rotator cuff makes you wonder if his arm will just fall off because he's so darn old! He is an iron man, though. But, has he worn himself out by not allowing himself more rest and rehab during his 17-plus seasons? Why do you think he skips training camps?

My guess is he had some time to process how he's aging, his physicality, his team and chances, and other detractors or benefactors to giving it another try. It's no wonder that it gets harder to decide as the years go on. It's a brutal game. One hit can end a career. Sadly though, football might be the only thing he's compelled to do at this stage of his life. So, he hops off the tractor and trudges on.

We see many athletes fail to the point of embarrassment at the end of their careers. There have also been triumphs by others who got the best of father time. Let's sit back and admire Brett Favre and what promises to be another fun-filled, up and down season to behold. You know he'll entertain one way or another.

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