I get the sentiment of the Packers not wanting to see Favre play for anyone else. But if that is their primary concern, why should they eliminate all NFC teams from consideration. If they don't want him, they should let him go.

The point I think everyone is missing that by "moving on," the Packers have gone to a system of shorter pass routes, with more flexibility in case Rodgers gets hurried. Before, if Favre gets hurried, what do the receivers do? they run a fly route straight towards the end zone. Favre has a cannon (which amazingly he still has at his age)and will wing it down field. The only difference between Favre now and his first few years are that the receivers now know what to do. Favre almost never threw the ball out of bounds if he was "scrambling" and needed to get rid of it. He flung it down field, on a hope and a prayer. I remember telling my cousins that this guy would be great if he could just learn to toss it out of bounds instead of down field. With Rodgers who doesn't have that arm strength, you have to teach everyone what to do when the rush comes. People also mention the fact that Rodgers is "injury prone." Is he? How long was he hurt for? Sure, he got hurt, but did he need to play through it? It's one thing to say the guy got hurt and can't play, but if he wasn't going to play anyway, can you hold it against him? Not to hard to know his role of holding a clipboard and being moral support for Favre during games. But with the situation happening the way it is, I would say IF Favre gets reinstated, let him ride the pine. Or in the words of my high school FB coach, only starters get to sit, everyone else stands. Make Favre stand and hold the clipboard, he did it for how long to Rodgers? I said the same thing with the Eagles and TO. Let TO sit on the bench and whine all he wants. Sure the situation is different, but it's the same in a lot of ways. Favre should "man up" and realize that had he been more helpful to Rodgers and more accepting of him, this wouldn't be a problem now. Instead, when the Packers drafted Rodgers, Favre gave him the icy reception that was much like a late December game in Lambeau. Favre can't be a coach becausehis thought-process says "when in trouble, throw the ball down field." You can't tell a new QB that. It's different for Favre because he had the arm strength to usually wing it DOWN field where no one could catch it. It's hard to see a legend go, though. I did it with my beloved 49ers (and was I mad at the management for getting rid of Montana). The difference here is Favre is kicking himself out the door. Favre is making it so they wouldn't want him back. 2 years of "I think I'll retire" only to come back. Come on. They wasted a 1st round draft pick on a QB who has rode the pine for 3 years now because "Favre might retire." Good return on investment. Personally, after the 1st year of it, I would have said "just retire already." How much does Rodgers get paid to be a back up? Sure, this is really hurting Favre's legacy, but how badly? Here's a guy who still wants to play. When the season is over, he wants to just sit back and rest. That's when he wants to retire. When the fishing in Mississippi is good, in early Feb/March and life is good. When my dad retired from his job, he sat down for maybe a week. Then it was do this, do that, do this, do that. He can't just sit and relax. And I see the same in Favre. Favre CANNOT go quietly into the night. That's not who he is, nor who he will be. He's never been able to not give 110% to his team. Personally, I should say, I don't like Favre. He was/is great and as such, he's beaten my 49ers more than a few times. But that's ok, that's how the game is played. Unless he has something sudden happen, where he won't be physically able to play, Favre will always be wanting to play. It's in his blood. It's not an "itch" that comes to him, but more the dullness of everything else bothers him. In my eyes, I see him as a guy who plays every game as his last. He doesn't "give up" because they've already won the division and have home field throughout the playoffs. He still played like the game mattered. How can you not respect that? The problem is, when you get used to the pressure of that situation and the pleasure of winning, how can you do anything else? I believe that Favre should prove himself as a true team player now, though. A lot has been done now to make him seem more "diva" than team player. If he wants to practice with the high school team in Mississippi, why not see about being a coach there? PROVE you can be the team player, and then come back and ask if you can help out the Packers in a role other than playing. It's time to hang up the spurs. It's time to be like the rest of us, Favre, and sit down on Sat/Sun/Mon/Thurs and WISH we could be playing in those games we love to watch. Before it's too late, pass what you know on to someone else. Teach those high schoolers the technics you used to get the arm strength you have. Teach the QB to wing it down field. Teach him and then sit back and watch him in college (or maybe the NFL). Sit back and enjoy knowing YOU helped make the NEXT Favre.

Favre has been playing this off-season game for the last three years at least. Then in Match he retired. Now he wants back.

Last year SI made him his "Sportsman of the Year" primarily because he was a good 'ole boy who play football.

Then he retired.

Now he wants to come back and IMO with every passing day he loses the respect of more and more people because of the way this whole farce is being played out.

BTW- He's almost 40 he hasn't stayed in shape in the off-season and any team that takes him and pays him $12 mil should have their heads examined.

Brett- Please just go away

I'm no mind reader, but this has been an interesting saga to follow regarding the best intentions going sour despite the mutual intentions of Favre AND the Packers organization. And trying to read through all these editorialized opinions of Favre's true intentions is just damned awful!

Favre has proven himself again and again to be, above all things, a player AND a team player! His comments yesterday about 100% commitment say it all to me... and his past actions show it!

He plays for love of the game, and he isn't getting any younger. The last four seasons have been a major challenge for him as, while he has continued to age, he was not, until last season, surrounded by the support he needed to excel, which is all he really seems to want.

McCarthy has shown to be an outstanding coach, proven last year by building a playoff contender out of a very young team which, when the season began, showed very little promise of getting there to all the outspoken editorialists who are dragging Favre's name though the mud today.

Brett believed in the program, "committed 100%", and continued building his uncontested record of consecutive starts all the way through the playoffs! At the end of his season, he was clearly and justifiably mentally and physically exhausted... and not ready to commit to 100% again without the rest and objectivity he so richly deserved. He has shown a history of lengthy comeback decisions that have convinced me that the time he has taken was needed, and deserved, to reach the "100% commitment" mindset he knew it would require to be all that he could be...

100% to the team, and 100% to himself...

Unfortunately, given McCarthy's responsiblities, the time Favre truly needed to recharge himself, threatened the continued momentum the Packers had achieved through last season, so the pressure of a firm decision sooner was placed upon Favre.

After watching yesterday's Fox interview, I am convinced that Brett has made a concerted effort, one day at a time to be true to the Packers and to be true to himself, knowing that if he couldn't come back 100%, both sides would be short-changed.

I respect how this situation has become what it is for both sides, but, if the Packers believe that it is in the best interest of the team to bring Brett back as a backup QB, the right thing to do is to let him go and to wish him well.

He is a player who plays for love of the game... It is not part of his spiritual or mental makeup to warm a bench while being good team player and a mentor. He has shown us that, for him anyway, ACTION speaks louder than words... That he would rather retire than warm a bench...

I admire him most for his consistency, and other than having been placed, fairly or unfairly, in the position of having to provide answers sooner than he was capable of providing them, he HAS been consistent!

Every year he has come back, despite his own doubts or the doubts of others, it has required the same amount of time for him to "gird up his loins" for one more round.

I say, "If it works, don't fix it!"

hey with what farve has done for the pack, he should be able to do whatever the heck he wants
including come back.....again!
and the front office should have
they're heads examined for even thinking about not playing them or trading him!

I totally agree that upper management will be gone next year.. Aaron has yet to prove himself on the field or off!! How many charity events has he attended in order to raise funds for cancer patients and what not. IT is my understanding that our dear ol' Favre has NEVER EVER missed a single child's Last Wish request for a Favre visit. I bet you the farm that if Mr. Rodgers and his lil' black suit end up playing, he'll be injured by week 6 .... Then we're left with the Wow Mr. B rookie.. mark my words... and secondly,,, why is Rodgers the automatic the starter..Sure he has the lead going into training camp but doesnt' he have to earn that position from our new rookie? Bet anything the rookie will give him a run for his money..

My bet,,, play Favre but give Rodgers the option to be traded. He would be an absolute idiot to move.. After all, didn't Steve Young wait 5 years before becoming the starter at San Fran and winning several Super Bowls.. I'm more than disgusted in the avid Packer fans who are turning their backs on Brett.. He has been and will forever be the name of the Green Bay Packers.. If it werent' for him their wouldn't be 50K waiting for season tickets.. I'm about 7K on the list and have been waiting for 25 years.. I will never get tickets but will have to generously donate my tickets to my nephew in my will.. but I'll die a true Packer fan but will always remember the Favre years, way and above any others.. guaranteed... I suffered thru the 80s as a fan and one win here and ther was a blessing... How quickly the fans forget what the 80s were like.. You all might want to take a look at the season win,loss records before Brett and after Brett... then change your idiot minds....

GO PACK,, FIRE THOMPSON, HIRE FAVRE.

That business about the Packers not wanting to trade Favre within the NFC is a little misleading.

I bet the Packers would rather trade Brett Favre to the 49ers or the Rams (neither of which are on the Packers' schedule this year) than to the Titans, Texans or Ravens (two of which are on the Packers' schedule).

Any of those teams could have the potential to make a Cinderella run in the AFC playoffs with Brett Favre under center. And supposing Aaron Rodgers has a spectacular season this year or next, wouldn't it be the ultimate drama to have Favre play AGAINST the Packers in the Super Bowl?

The key is to trade Favre to a bad team outside of the NFC North, and preferably a team that does not appear on the Packers' schedule this year.

The Packers should have no problems sending Favre to the Jets, Dolphins, Chiefs, Broncos, Raiders, Rams, 49ers, Cardinals, Bengals or Eagles.

Even though the Ravens were bad last year, remember how good they were with Steve McNair? Favre could step in for a year and be the old guy who can get them to the playoffs now while the new guys develop. With Favre in the lineup, the Ravens can get rid of Kyle Boller and focus on developing Troy Smith and Joe Flacco.