Quarterback Brett Favre isn’t the first NFL player to look for a second chance with a different team but taking a look at past successes and failures may forecast what the future holds for him.

Hall of Fame quarterback and kicker George Blanda was arguably the most successful.

Blanda started his professional career playing for the Chicago Bears under George Halas in the late 1940s and early 1950s. His time in Chicago was tumultuous and he reportedly thought about leaving the NFL to play in the CFL in 1952 until he got a raise from Halas from $6,000 a year to $11,000. Even though he led the NFL in passing attempts (362) and completions (169) in 1953, and threw 15 touchdowns in eight games in 1954, he lost his job and was forced into the back-up quarterback role and kicking job from 1955-58. In 1959, fed up with the Bears and Halas, he retired. In 1960, he returned to Football landing the starting quarterback job with Houston in the newly-formed AFL.

That return led him to a career that ended with him owning most of the scoring records in professional football before he retired for good one month shy of his 49th birthday in 1976.

Blanda took a dead career and turned it into the poster child for longevity but there have been some head-scratching moves as well.

Look at New York Jets star quarterback Joe Namath. Namath has been credited with giving the AFL instant credibility when he predicted and then delivered a victory in Super Bowl III against the Baltimore Colts. After his glorious 12-year career with the Jets (which included 130 starts, 50.2 completion percentage and 170 TDs) was over, he finished his career with the Los Angeles Rams. He only appeared in four games for the Rams and threw for three touchdowns and five interceptions.

Quarterbacks aren’t the only players who have a hard time stepping away from the playing field. Two Hall of Fame runners, O.J. Simpson and Franco Harris, also had hard times once they left the fertile grounds of their original teams. Harris’ career numbers are the most revealing. His career totals are impressive (12,120 yards on 2,949 attempts for an average of 4.1 yards a carry and 91 touchdowns.) But his last season in the league with Seattle, he only had 68 attempts for a total of 170 yards and no scores. His average carry in Seattle netted 2.5 yards. Simpson finished his career with 10,539 yards and 59 rushing touchdowns-55 of them coming in his nine years in Buffalo. His last two years in San Francisco, he rushed for 1,053 yards and only scored four times.

Think it’s only the glamour guys on offense who can’t say goodbye? How about Bruce Smith, who was named Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press in 1990 and 96, and a Pro Bowl MVP in 1987? In 19 seasons playing in Buffalo, he was credited with 200 sacks. When he left the Bills before the 2000 season, his productivity dropped immensely. His entire four years in Washington, he only got 29 sacks.

It isn’t just old AFL/AFC players who can’t give up the glory of the game. Look at Notre Dame product Joe Montana, who had 13 glorious years with San Francisco and played two more seasons with Kansas City. His time with San Francisco included an incredible 100-39-0 record, a 63.7 completion percentage, 244 touchdowns, three Super Bowl MVP awards and eight Pro Bowl appearances. He didn’t produce anywhere close to those numbers (17-8-0, 29 TDs) in Kansas City.

Next think about Alan Page, who was the leader of the Purple People Eaters defense of the Minnesota Vikings. When Page played, the NFL didn’t keep official defensive stats but according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame records, he is credited with three safeties, 23 recovered fumbles, 28 blocked kicks, 173 sacks and made the NFL All-Pro team six times. As dominant as Page was for the Vikings, most people don’t realize that he left Minnesota at the age of 34 to play his final three seasons with Chicago.

Where will Favre be when his career is finalized? Only time and statistics will have the answer.