Favre To Ring Out 2008 With an MRI

By JOSH ALPER

Updated 6:35 AM EST, Mon, Dec 29, 2008

Print Email Share TWITTER FACEBOOK

Getty Images

Shortly after he did his best to assure the Miami Dolphins of an AFC East championship by throwing three interceptions, Jets quarterback Brett Favre announced that he'll get an MRI exam on his right shoulder on Monday. He insists that he hasn't decided whether to play next season or not, but the results of the exam could push him closer to a decision.

"Whether or not it requires surgery, depending on what it would be, that's something else I would have to weigh on whether or not, first of all, I would want surgery," Favre said. "Second of all, if I need it, would I play or not? It's one of those things. I'm 39, I don't want to have to have a bunch of surgeries to continue playing. I really don't know what it would show."

This isn't the first time Favre has spoken about pain in his shoulder, but it was painted as the aches and pains of an aging quarterback. An MRI means there's reason to worry about deeper damage, which means there are two more questions that must be asked. What did the Jets know about the seriousness of Favre's condition and when did they know it?

Favre's play over the last five games was horrendous. His quarterback rating never climbed above 61.4 and he threw nine interceptions in the stretch that made sure the playoffs would begin without him or the Jets taking part. The last two weeks, in particular, represented a nadir that no one could have imagined when Favre joined the team.

If the Jets knew that he had something more serious than routine wear and tear and continued sending him out there, their masochism rivals that of a kamikaze pilot. On Saturday, the New York Times reported the Jets have a habit of secrecy about injuries. The idea of hiding such information is to hurt the other team's chances of winning, not your own.

If they didn't know, however, and Favre hid the injury to ensure he continued his consecutive start streak, then there's no way he should be asked back next season. Sabotaging your team's season to burnish your own legacy, if that's what happened, is nothing to be proud of, and makes today's ignominious performance a fitting ending for his career.