Written by Evan Jacoby - August 3rd, 2010

For the third time in the last 3 years, it appears that legendary quarterback Brett Favre is retiring from the game of football.

The question is, will this also become the 3rd consecutive season that Favre returns to the game later in the year after claiming his retirement? By all indications, the answer is no. It seems that the all-time great quarterback is ready to call it quits forever.

Favre has been informing Minnesota Vikings teammates and personnel since late Monday night that he intends to retire. "This is it," is the one-liner text message that Vikings players have received that indicate the 40-year-old quarterback will not be returning to the Vikings next season.

There are currently a lack of quotes to use from Vikings players and personnel, as facts continue to be gathered from this shocking announcement. All that ESPN and other NFL outlets could confirm was that Favre had informed several Vikings players of his retirement, but neither the player nor the team had confirmed the reports.

If this is it, Favre leaves the game as arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history. His numbers are astonishing, and his legacy is untouchable. Favre owns the all-time quarterback records for almost every relevant statistic. He has the most career passing yards, touchdowns, and completions. He has the most career victories by a starting quarterback and most consecutive MVP awards (3 in a row from '95-'97). Perhaps the greatest Favre stat is his 309 consecutive starts at quarterback, including playoffs. No player has ever come close to starting 300 straight NFL games, and Favre did it at the most important position on the field at the highest level for 17-straight years.

At age 40, Favre had one of his greatest seasons as a professional for the Minnesota Vikings in 2009. The Vikings advanced to the NFC Championship game and were one or two plays short of a Super Bowl berth.

Due to last season's success, and the unreal longevity of the man's career, it appeared that Brett Favre was a lock to return for the 2010 NFL season as Vikings QB. Instead, he will be hanging it up for the last time. The man who has kept the football world guessing for the last 3 off-seasons has once again gone against conventional wisdom.

Favre's 2009 season ended on a crucial interception to the New Orleans Saints in overtime of the NFC Championship. Perhaps this is fitting for Favre's career; he is the all-time legend of the quarterback position, constantly gave it his all on every play of every season, but often times let his biggest supporters down.

After the 2007 season, Favre departed the Green Bay Packers, the team and city that knew nothing other than Favre and his legacy. A messy fallout from Favre's retirement-then-return led to his being traded to the New York Jets, and the city of Green Bay has forever changed its opinion of the quarterback. His last pass for the Packers was also an interception, thrown against the New York Giants in the NFC Championship.

In 2008, Favre played for the New York Jets and let that fanbase down as well. The Jets started fast with an 8-3 record and were touted as Super Bowl contenders before losing 4 of their last 5 games in which Favre threw 8 interceptions and had just 2 touchdown passes. The team did not make the playoffs, and Favre was released from the Jets after the season.

In the 2009 offseason, Favre announced his retirement for the second time. But he was unsure of his decision and wound up working out to get himself in shape for another season. This final season would be played at the highest level for the Minnesota Vikings in a dream season that nearly led to a Super Bowl.

That brings us to where we are today; the Vikings entirely expecting Favre back for redemption after a disappointing near-miss of a Super Bowl berth, and the team expecting to be a true contender. Today, the news arrives that Favre plans to retire, and the entire outlook of the NFC changes. The Vikings are stunned, and must go forward for the 2010 season with either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels at quarterback.

Whether Favre decides to change his mind one more time and announce a return to the league is still unclear, and a definite possibility to those fans that have seen this happen before. But by all indications, Favre has tricked us once again. The unexpected retirement of the legend will shake up the league next season.

Unless this story takes another 180, it's time to say goodbye to Brett Favre for the very last time. Perhaps no player in NFL history leaves behind more mixed emotions about his legacy, so feel free to say your goodbyes in honest fashion.

Stay tuned for more information and analysis as the facts come to the forefront.