The Green Bay Packers fired head coach Mike Sherman on Monday after a miserable season filled with countless injuries. Green Bay finished at 4-12, their worst record in 15 years. The firing of Sherman questions whether or not starting QB Brett Favre will be back or not, but that will probably be addressed at a later time.

Packers general manager Ted Thompson said that the firing of Sherman was not based solely on this year's performance.

"I think our team hung in there very well and played under some very difficult circumstances and played hard each and every week," said Thompson. "This was more thinking in terms of where we are and where we need to get to. And again, it was what I thought was best for the Green Bay Packers over the long haul."

Thompson hopes that Favre will return as the Packers' QB next year, but he realizes that he can't go on forever. On top of that, Favre may not want to work with a whole new coaching system.

"Eventually Brett Favre's going to retire and go back to Mississippi," Thompson said. "But that didn't have any sway in this particular decision, no."

Packers' DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila said that the team gave Sherman a standing ovation after the former head coach had given his team one last speech.

"I'm just really shocked because of how hard Coach Sherman works," Gbaja-Biamila said. "When you think of someone getting fired, you think of someone as lazy, don't work hard, don't put effort into it. He's the epitome of a professional."

Sherman has had a lot of success as the Packers' head coach. He went 57-39 overall, despite this year's 4-12 season filled with injuries. The team lost RB Ahman Green, RB Najeh Davenport, RB Samkon Gado, WR Javon Walker, TE Bubba Franks and WR Terrence Murphy. That's not even listing half of their injuries.

"It's not an easy thing for anyone to do," Thompson said. "Mike Sherman's a good man."

Despite having a winning record as the Packers' coach, Sherman was only 2-4 in the postseason.