The NFL Passing Paradox Keeps Brett Favre A Hot Commodity

I'm not sure that I understand the media circus that surrounds Brett Favre and whether or not he comes back. But with today's rumors floating that Favre could possibly come back to the NFL, specifically with the Minnesota Vikings, one thing I can understand is that if he has the itch, he should definitely scratch it.

Two things are now commonplace within the NFL, and both should majorly affect Favre's decision if he feels that he can handle the rigors of the media scrutiny, the schedule, and the expectations.

1. The NFL Is A Passing League - The bottom line is that the greatest quarterbacks in the game are with the greatest teams in the NFL, generally speaking. The Colts are always a contender. The Patriots are always a favorite. The Saints unexpectedly won a title and are now heavy favorites every year. And the reasons are named Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees. The Falcons unloaded in a major way to get Julio Jones in the draft, paying a heavy price to get Matt Ryan that final target. Why? Because they know that helping Ryan to succeed is the best way to advance in the playoffs. Need proof? Take a look at the ridiculously prolific Aaron Rodgers for Green Bay.

2. The NFL Doesn't Have Enough Passers - The weird paradox is that while the NFL is a passing league, there's not enough of the supply to go with the demand. Teams are staking their futures (and, consequently, their budgets) on new quarterbacks more than ever. Consider the guys who will be starting this season and/or serving as the future hopes of the their franchises: Andy Dalton, Cam Newton, Colin Kaepernick, Christian Ponder, Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert. There's no way all of those guys pan out. Some teams will be back at the fountain next year hoping Andrew Luck is theirs.

The reality is that Favre is still a quality passer at the NFL level in a league that doesn't have enough. Whether or not you think he's washed up, he's only one full season removed from his single best passer rating of all time: a 107.2 rating from 2009 when he also threw for 33 touchdowns against 7 picks and took the Vikes to a 12-4 record. Was last year abysmal? Sure. But would you be willing to stake your job as a general manager or head coach on a guy like Favre or take a chance with a Jimmy Clausen type? Yeah, I thought so.

He's discussed way too much. He waffles on his decisions to an annoying degree. That Wrangler jeans commercial is stupid. And sexting... well, we'll leave that alone. But the reality is that teams need passers and there's not enough of them to go around. And if you think that a team wouldn't jump on Favre as a possible starter when people are offering a first round choice for Kevin Kolb, well, you don't know the NFL.