Brett Favre says he can still play football

Remember when Brett Favre was one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever live? Favre, who played most notably for the Green Bay Packers from 1992-2007 before joining the New York Jets for a season and the Minnesota Vikings for two, believes he can still be that guy to some extent, per Sports Illustrated.

Favre, 45, was interviewed by the magazine for a cover story on what he is doing these days and got to talking about his abilities. While Favre concedes he can no longer throw the ball three-quarters of the field anymore, he still believes he can wing it.

"“I think I could play,” Favre said. “As far as throwing. Of course, we’re not trying to start some he’s-coming-out-of-retirement deal.”“Do I think I could play and lead a team? Look, no. But I could play. I could make all the throws I made before, I just couldn’t throw it near as far, but that never matters anyway.”"

Throughout his career, Favre won three consecutive MVP trophies from 1995-97 while taking home a Super Bowl in 1996. Favre also amassed an NFL-record 71,838 passing yards and 508 touchdowns, the latter number being eclipsed last year by Peyton Manning.

While it seems insane for a 45-year-old to be talking about playing quarterback at an NFL level, consider who the subject is. Favre was one of the toughest players to ever come down the pike, dealing with broken bones, strains and sprains to avoid missing a game from 1992 through Week 15 of the 2010 season. Considering he is still in relatively good shape, would it shock anybody if Favre helped some team that had injuries at quarterback late in the season?

Favre would not be the first 45-year-old to play quarterback in the NFL. George Blanda was a quarterback for the Oakland Raiders back in 1975 at the age of 48. Granted, Blanda was mostly a placekicker but still was listed as the backup signal-caller behind Kenny Stabler.