FAVRE RETURNS

Al Jones of The Sun Herald reports:

Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre will return for the 2007 season, he told the Sun Herald in an exclusive interview this morning.

"I am so excited about coming back," he said. "We have a good nucleus of young players. We were 8-8 last year and that's encouraging.

"My offensive line looks good, the defense played good down the stretch. I'm excited about playing for a talented young football team."

...He needs one more victory to tie John Elway for most as a quarterback. Favre has completed more passes (5,021) than anyone in NFL history and needs seven touchdown passes to pass Dan Marino's record of 420.

...Favre's streak of 237 consecutive regular-season games started has been compared to Cal Ripken's record in baseball, and his three NFL Most Valuable Player awards put him in elite company.

In 1996, Favre was the guiding force to the Packers' first NFL championship in nearly 30 years. Green Bay beat the New England Patriots 35-21 in the Louisiana Superdome, just an hour's drive or so from his home in Hancock County.

"It's a great feeling," Favre said after the game. "The fans have been great and my hometown has been wonderful. It would be great anywhere, but it adds a little bit to it, doing it here, so close to home."

Life is good.