As Atlanta's quiet offseason continues, pundits have turned their attention in a myriad of directions awaiting this week's NFL Draft. One avenue that was taken is looking back at who should be considered Atlanta's biggest mistake in franchise history. Former Atlanta quarterback Brett Favre is pointed to as the team's largest franchise blunder, with the Falcons trading Favre to the Green Bay Packers. The article makes a fair point in the unavoidable fact that the Falcons did trade away an NFL legend who is still considered among the league's greatest quarterbacks.
However, to pretend Favre could have become the player we remember in Atlanta is ignoring some key issues. The first and most obvious are the concerning off-the-field red flags the quarterback was dealing with. Second is the complete mess Atlanta was under head coach Jerry Glanville. It is well-known that the former Atlanta head coach and young quarterback didn't get along. To put it bluntly, the Falcons had a losing culture that was incapable of developing incomplete products.
Brett Favre needed the fresh start in Green Bay to become the best version of himself
With that said, it is a fair take to critique the Falcons for trading away a player who is considered one of the best to ever play his position. It doesn't help matters that it would be 2008 when the team drafted Matt Ryan, before they were given close to the level of stability Favre brought to Green Bay.
It is interestingly depressing to consider what the veteran could have accomplished with a capable organization. The stories of Glanville's teams in Atlanta is nightmare fuel, showing a consistently toxic and harmful culture that predictably led to an underwhelming 60-69 record for the head coach in his time with both Houston and Atlanta. The fact that Favre's win total would more than triple the head coach who so aggressively rejected the quarterback seems fitting.
Atlanta's failure to recognize the talent of the young quarterback speaks to a young player making poor off-the-field decisions and a cocky head coach who couldn't get out of his on way. While there are many moves that could be considered, it is fair to list the trade as the biggest mistake in franchise history.