Though Wednesday's report from ESPN's Chris Mortensen that Brett Favre has reached out to Packers coach Mike McCarthy about a possible return to the team likely will be met with broad denials (agent Bus Cook already is downplaying it), there's a lot of smoke and, apparently, the early stages of a flickering green-and-gold flame. It started in April, when Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times reported that Cook was quietly gauging potential trade interest in Favre. Later in the month, Favre told David Letterman, "I think when training camp gets close, something's bound to happen."
More recently, we reported over at Pro Football Talk that Cook has been privately telling folks that Favre wants to play.So if the ESPN report is accurate, what does it all mean? If Favre shows up for camp, the team has three options: welcome him with open arms, trade him, or cut him.
If McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson value their lives, they'll choose Door No. 1. Still, they probably both wish that Favre will not come back.
Sooner or later, McCarthy and Thompson will have to endure Year One of the post-Favre era. With fresh contract extensions in hand and a high level of job security thanks to an unexpectedly strong 2007, now is the perfect time for the Packers brass to suffer through the growing pains of breaking in one (or more) new quarterbacks for the first time since 1992.
Indeed, once Favre retired, it seemed that the team did everything it could to bolt the door and bar the windows, drafting two quarterbacks in April and announcing that Favre's jersey would be retired on the first possible opportunity, during Week 1 of the 2008 season.
It's likely that Favre opted for retirement because he didn't believe that McCarthy and/or Thompson were doing and/or saying what they needed to do and/or say to get him to stick around. Cook said back in March that Favre would have played another year if he'd felt wanted.
It now appears that, regardless of whether the Packers want him, Favre's desire to play possibly has overcome his desire to be begged to play.
Original Source : http://sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=430348
