So far, everyone seems to have assumed that upon his return to the Packers, Brett Favre will completely destroy Aaron Rodgers in the team's competition to be the starting QB, and Rodgers will again be relegated to clipboard duty. But it IS a competition, so there IS a chance that Rodgers will win. That chance is a lot better than most people think.

For all of Favre's greatness, the choice isn't as obvious as some may like to think. While he has certainly put up some incredible numbers over the past 16 seasons, that means very little when it comes to the Green Bay Packers in 2008, and beyond. Being a GM in the NFL is like running the ultimate fantasy football keeper league. While Favre has been the undeniable choice in the past, there is no guarantee that he's the choice for 2008, and Rodgers is definitely the choice for the future. If a fantasy owner had to choose between Favre and Rodgers in a fantasy league, I think most would choose Rodgers. So why does everyone think that Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy will choose Favre, just because he's Brett Favre? Not only could it cripple the Packers' future at the QB competition if Rodgers chooses to demand a trade and/or walk after this season, it might not even be the best choice for THIS year.

Favre is legendary for being a gunslinger in the pocket, and is remarkably good at making something out of nothing. But almost as often as he makes a great play, he makes mistakes, and tries to force passes into coverage. We all know that Favre is the all-time leader in passing touchdowns... but he's also the all-time leader in interceptions. We don't have as large a sample for Rodgers, but he looked very impressive against the Cowboys last season.

The Packers have the potential to have a solid running game with Ryan Grant finally signed, and with the way their last season ended (a Favre interception in the NFC Championship game), they might want to move towards a lower-risk style of play. Favre's interceptions decreased last year, but in the two years prior, he combined for 47 INT's, with only 38 TD's. He averages over 1 INT per game, and has led the NFL in INT's twice, and once as recently as 2006. Whether he acts his age or not, he's still approaching his 39th birthday, and the chances of his skills declining are far higher than the chances of him improving. Favre is not capable of running a conservative, low-risk offense, and if the Packers are interested in that, then it's clear that Aaron Rodgers is the better choice.

Many people love to point out the lack of experience when it comes to Rodgers, and that he's basically still an untested rookie. But don't forget, Rodgers was projected to go as high as #1 overall when he was drafted in 2005. The Packers undoubtedly got a steal when they picked him up at #24 overall, and you can be sure that if the 49ers front office were honest with themselves, they would tell you that they would rather have Rodgers than Alex Smith, who was selected with the #1 overall pick. At Cal, Rodgers threw 43 TD's and only 13 INT's, and led the Bears to a 17-5 record as the starting QB. He's relatively mobile, has a strong arm, and there is no doubt whatsoever that he's mentally strong, because he has handled the Favre fiasco almost perfectly.

Not only does Rodgers have a great college pedigree, he has sat behind a guy who is not only one of the best ever, but has made plenty of mistakes for Rodgers to learn from. Watching Brett throw 62 TD's in 3 seasons might be the best thing for Rodgers. Like with fellow Pac-10 alum Carson Palmer, the time on the bench might also pay off huge dividends. Rodgers' skill, mental fortitude, youth and potential are just some of the things that will win him the Packers' starting QB job.

Does Brett Favre have a great chance to come in and win the competition, and start for the Packers? Sure. But it's no guarantee. Aaron Rodgers will give Favre a run for his money, without a doubt. And by that, I mean I think he'll win the job. He gives the Packers a better chance to win, not only now, but also in the long-term.