Brett Favre headed to Packers' Hall of Fame, number to be retired

Brett Favre is returning to Lambeau Field! Rejoice, Packers fans!

Don't worry, folks, Favre isn't coming out of retirement again. (Yet.) No, Favre and the Packers organization have reached the truce we all knew they would, and Green Bay will honor Favre with enshrinement in the team's Hall of Fame and retirement of his number.

Favre had been an icon in Green Bay for years, leading the team to a Super Bowl victory and returning the Packers to prominence they hadn't enjoyed for years. But matters ended ugly between player and team, with Green Bay dealing Favre to the New York Jets in 2008. Favre believed he had more to contribute; the Packers knew they had a fella named Aaron Rodgers waiting to take over.

Favre played one year with the Jets and two with the Vikings, and in so doing managed to kill, for the short term, much of the goodwill he'd built up over a decade-plus in a Packers uniform. But we all knew the Ol' Gunslinger and The Best Football Fans In The NFL (Or At Least Wisconsin) would reconcile someday, and now is that time. Favre will be inducted into the Packers' Hall of Fame in 2015, and his number will be retired at a future date.

Favre's career numbers require a bit of scrutiny; yes, he leads the NFL all-time in attempts, completions, yards, and touchdowns, but he also leads in interceptions. Sheer durability served Favre well; he started in 297 consecutive games, 253 with Green Bay. But while he had a disturbing tendency to end drives, and seasons, with ill-advised interceptions, there's no denying he was one of the most magnetic and energizing players in the game for a decade and a half. He was the classic makes-everyone-around-him-better teammate, and the absurdity of his multiple retirement conferences shouldn't obscure that.

Congratulations to Favre on this well-deserved honor. Here's hoping he doesn't decide it's reason to suit up again.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Facebook or on Twitter.

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