Transcript of general manager Mike Tannenbaum's conference call with the media after the Jets acquisition of QB Brett Favre:
Opening Statements
Thank you for everyone's patience and to be available at this rare time. It's just how things unfolded here. We acquired Brett Favre from Green Bay. He will be a member of the team. I had a quick conversation with Brett. It was a good conversation. We're excited about it and we're glad he is on the team. We'll have more transactions to announce as it affects Chad (Pennington) and Chad's situation. I'll have more comments about that tomorrow. We just felt like this was an opportunity for us to go get someone of Brett's stature and what he's accomplished. Woody [Johnson], Eric [Mangini] and I felt that it was in the best interest of the team. When the opportunity presented itself, we felt it was the right move for us to make and we went ahead and did it.
On if the Jets are concerned with QB Brett Favre's commitment to the team…
We had discussions with him (Favre) and his agent Bus Cook. We would like to thank him (Cook) for all of his help. We're going into this and we're just going to take things one year at a time. We're excited to have Brett on the team for this year. We felt like it was an opportunity that presented itself. I was looking back the other day and going back a few years to 1998 — Vinny Testaverde was on the streets for 22 days before we actually signed him. This was just a situation that we were monitoring and then when we felt like there was an opportunity. We thought it was the right thing for us to do, to go after Brett. We felt like he could help us at the quarterback position. We looked at the situation and where we were and what we thought he could do for us. We went ahead and made the trade.
On what the Jets said to Favre to ease his mind on the move to New York…
We've had multiple discussions with Brett, his representative, Bus Cook, and his family. Organizationally we talked to him and had a number of conversations. We're already at the start of training camp and there were obviously some concerns. We had multiple conversations, but we got to a spot where we felt comfortable with things. We talked through the issues and realized that we would be heading into this together. We're excited that he's here. It did take a lot of good communication. I really appreciate the effort a lot of people in our building did to help to get this done. I really appreciate Bus and Brett listening and discussing things and just keep talking things through.
On specific concerns Favre may have had on the move to New York…
He's coming to a new city. He's been in one system for 16 years. There aren't a lot of connections with Brett and our coaching staff, but we were able to talk through moving to the northeast and all those other issues. We feel really good about it and we're excited that he's with us.
On if this is the end of the era for Chad Pennington…
It's a bittersweet moment for us. I have not had the opportunity to talk to Chad as of this call. I know Eric has and I just have all the respect in the world for Chad as a person and a player. We have accomplished a lot great things with Chad including winning playoff games, which is very hard to do, and he gave his heart and sole to this organization for a long, long time. I really appreciate everything he has done. Like I said, we will have more to say about that tomorrow just with the way transactions are processed where we have a little bit more work to do with the league before four o'clock tomorrow. We are not completely done with the other things we have to do with the league, but just from a personal and professional standpoint I have all the respect in the world for Chad. Like I said, we will have more to say in a few hours on that.
On confirming Pennington will no longer be with the team…
Yes, unless something unforeseen happens. That looks like where we are going but again I have not had that conversation Chad. Eric has had that conversation, so that's really where we are.
On if Pennington is involved in a trade…
No, no he is not. I appreciate your (clarification). It's a separate transaction, but we will have a separate transaction involving Pennington before 4 o'clock tomorrow. We are not quite there yet.
On his exact words taking it one year at a time on the commitment he gave…
Again, I would keep our conversations private on that except to say that we are taking things season-by-season. We are really happy to have him for the season and we will move forward from there.
On the first time he spoke to him directly…
I don't know exactly but it was pretty recent.
Yesterday…
I am not sure exactly but something like that.
On if there was a presentation made where he had to try and sell Favre on the benefits on trying to come to the Jets…
Well, I wouldn't say presentation. I think it was just more communication. I did have some conversations with his agent, very minor ones. Again going back to the Vinny Testaverde situation — Testaverde was on the streets for a long time and then it was just a situation that presented itself and in the last 24 hours things changed. I am just fortunate to work with a lot of great and talented people in this building that help put this together and they did a great job. We did have an opportunity to talk to Favre recently and talk through the challenges collectively we would have, and we got to a spot to where we were all comfortable.
On how this has played out through the past days…
I have probably read most of what you have read as well. I am not sure all of it is completely accurate or not, but again we again were monitoring the situation for lack of a better word. When the opportunity presented itself, I just felt like it's something we had to take a real long look at. My gut feeling, for a long time, I just didn't think was going to come to fruition. Then it really heated up recently. I just think organizationally the only part of the process we control is preparation and we had a lot of great preparation, so if and when that opportunity presented itself we were ready to roll. When it did, we moved quick.
On if there was a time when you thought the deal was dead…
Really we had a cursory monitoring situation going on for a number of days. Very akin to 1998, it was June of '98. I remember coach Bill Parcells saying we'll reach out to Mike Azzarelli and don't tell anybody. I did that and then it went away for a week or two, and then kind of rekindled and we just kind of put an oar in the water. Then things finally just heated up real quick in here at the end, but again it's because of a lot of great talented people I work with that we were prepared so we could move quickly.
