Still grasping the reality of what he is -- the newest member of the New York Jets -- Brett Favre focused Thursday on what he says he isn't.
"I'm not a traitor, I never will be," he said, less than 24 hours after his falling out with the Green Bay Packers led to a trade. "It's a business, that's how it works."
And for the Packers, it was a smart business move. They got a conditional fourth-round pick for Favre, a deal that could be sweeter depending on how he plays, and sidestepped the excruciating possibility of him playing for NFC North rival Minnesota.
Favre, speaking to reporters before an exhibition opener at Cleveland, conceded that all along the Vikings had been his team of choice.
"Maybe that was vindictive, competitive," he said, adding, "In the end, that was probably the wrong motive."
As it happened, Favre's new career chapter began the way the old one ended -- with an interception. The Jets stepped in front of a telegraphed pass -- one from Green Bay to Tampa Bay -- and picked off the 38-year-old quarterback to the surprise of just about everyone.
Trading Favre anywhere was fraught with peril for the Packers, but the Jets are about the closest thing to the other side of the moon from Green Bay.
That's not to say Favre can't win there. But he's heading to an AFC team that was 4-12 last season, losing eight of its first nine games, and plays in a division owned by the New England Patriots.
Had Favre gone to Tampa, which some reports called a near-done deal, he would have been reunited with Coach Jon Gruden on a team that won the NFC South last season and plays host to Green Bay in a Week 4 game.
After the deal was finished late Wednesday night, Green Bay General Manager Ted Thompson and Coach Mike McCarthy probably got their first bit of decent sleep in weeks. Not only did they finally move Favre and end this nightmarish saga, but they got a remarkably good deal for him. From Green Bay's standpoint, this is about as perfect as you can get.
The Packers will get a fourth-round pick for Favre that becomes a third-rounder if he plays 50% of the snaps, a second-rounder if he plays 70% of them and the Jets make the playoffs, and a first-rounder if he plays 80% and New York advances to the Super Bowl.
Then, there's the poison pill. If Favre were to be traded to any team in the NFC North, the Jets would have to give the Packers three first-round picks. There are also provisions that block the Jets from trading him to another team which, in turn, tries to trade him back into the Packers' division.
