Brett Favre ...retired yesterday. - File

MILWAUKEE (AP):

BRETT FAVRE, American football's career leader in passing yards and touchdown passes, has decided to retire after 17 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

"He has had one of the greatest careers in the history of the National Football League and he is able to walk away from the game on his own terms - not many players are able to do that," Green Bay Packers General Manager Ted Thompson said yesterday.

Favre's agent Bus Cook said the 38-year-old quarterback told him of his decision on Monday night.

"Nobody pushed Brett Favre out the door, but then nobody encouraged him not to go out that door, either," Cook said by phone from his Hattiesburg, Mississippi, office.

FOX Sports first reported yesterday that the three-time league player of the year had decided to retire.

Super Bowl victory

A nine-time selection to the annual season-ending Pro Bowl all-star game, the 38-year-old Favre guided the Packers to the Super Bowl title in January 1997, the highlight of his 16 years with the storied team. He played his only other season with the Atlanta Falcons in 1991.

Only two years removed from perhaps his worst season, Favre had a resurgence in 2007. He broke several career records. Among them was Dan Marino's mark for career touchdown passes.

He powered the Packers to an National Football Conference north division title and a 13-3 regular-season record and earned his ninth selection to the Pro Bowl.

Surrounded by an underrated group of wide receivers, Favre had a career-high completion percentage of 66.5. He threw for 4,155 yards, 28 touchdowns and only 15 interceptions.

It was a remarkable turnaround from 2005, Favre's final season under former head coach Mike Sherman, when he threw a career-worst 29 interceptions as the Packers went 4-12.