I actually don’t believe that headline, but at least we have taken a giant step forward. In the last few minutes the news has broken that Brett Favre has been traded to the Jets. We will have to endure a few more days of drama as we hear how he feels about the move, as he flies to New York, as he puts on a new uniform for the first time since his days in Atlanta, as he throws his first pass as a Jet, as he throws his first incompletion, as he… well, you get the point. Still, we are a lot closer to being able to talk about something other than this mess than we were a day or two ago. Before we move on entirely, though, let’s take a quick look at some of the interesting aspects of this move.

1. I am incredibly happy for Jeff Garcia. He is a QB who wins when given the chance, yet he always seems to be in a position where teams are looking past him. I’ve been a big fan of the guy since he was the quarterback of my hometown Calgary Stampeders in the CFL. He was fantastic in San Francisco, and would have stayed there and had a long, successful career if it weren’t for the fact that he was in the impossible situation of having to follow back-to-back hall of famers. One thing I will always remember about that stint by the bay is the game in which he completed 20 passes to Terrell Owens. That’s insane. Since then he was doomed in Detroit, decent in Cleveland, brilliant when needed in Philly, and more than adequate in Tampa Bay. He doesn’t deserve to be replaced, so I’m thrilled he won’t be. Not to call something after the fact, but I’m not surprised that Favre didn’t end up in Tampa after seeing an interview with Jon Gruden today. He looked not at all like a guy who was looking forward to playing ringmaster in a circus all year.

2. I wouldn’t bet that Chad Pennington will make the Jets now. It wouldn’t make sense to have him behind Clemens and Favre, and the team hasn’t been high on him for a while, anyway. He’d look good in a lot of other places as an experienced backup, though. I’d love to see him in Houston, for example. Heck, I even think he’d be a nice fit in Kansas City as a starter for a year or two while the team tries to sort out their mess.

3. It will be very interesting to watch the futures on the Jets. To the surprise of no one, they have changed dramatically in the last few minutes. A month ago the Jets were at 8/1 to win the AFC East. When I checked a minute ago they were at 5/2. Needless to say (I hope) that is a ridiculous move that reflects the sports books’ opinion of the public – they think that they are idiots. That’s the only way that this price move can be explained. Favre probably makes the team better, but he doesn’t close the gap on the Jets instantly, and we really can’t judge the move until we see how he reacts to it, how he fits into the first new system and setting he has had to adapt to in a million years, and how hungry he is to actually play.