Cheesehead Central

Consider the Packers backed up against their own goal line.

Brett Favre followed through on his statements that he wanted to come out of retirement by faxing his reinstatement letter to the NFL on Tuesday, a source close to the quarterback told ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

Favre's actions now force Packers general manager Ted Thompson to make a decision. Favre told Mortensen on Sunday that the GM had pleaded with the quarterback not to show up at camp on Sunday, so that the situation could be resolved.

"I asked Ted [Saturday], 'Am I welcome in the building if I report?' And Ted was just about shattered," Favre said. "He said, 'Brett, you can't do that -- you'll get me fired.' I told him I'm not trying to get anybody fired. So Ted asked me to let the guys report and let's try to resolve this over the next two or three days."

With no concrete movement in the past few days, Favre made his move. The Packers have publicly committed to Favre's backup from last season, Aaron Rodgers, however.

Favre has offered to compete for the starting job in training camp, but he said in Sunday's interview that he was told that is not an option.

"It's pretty clear -- and this is what I told the commissioner -- that they want me to go away, stay retired," Favre said.

The Packers have also looked into trading their former franchise quarterback, but nothing tangible has happened on that front either.

Favre retired in March after 16 season in the league as the all-time leader in touchdown passes with 442.

Oh my goodness.

How is this going to end? What do you think, Bill?

[size=29]NFL grants Favre reinstatement; sources say QB job is open[/size]
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Brett Favre will be reinstated and added to the Packers' active roster Monday. And at that point, it looks like the fun will start.

Team president Mark Murphy said in a statement Sunday that the team has a specific plan with Favre in camp that it won't reveal until Monday, but sources told ESPN's Wendi Nix that coach Mike McCarthy will announce he's holding an open competition for the starting quarterback position.

Favre's reinstatement, announced by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Sunday, will become effective at 1 p.m. ET Monday. His first practice will likely come Tuesday.

"Brett will be in camp tomorrow. Although there has been uncertainty regarding Brett's return, Ted Thompson and Coach McCarthy had previously discussed this and have had a plan in place," Murphy said in the statement. "Coach McCarthy will talk to the team and the quarterbacks about the plan moving forward, and after he has done that we will share it publicly.


Mark Murphy's Statement

Sixteen years after Brett Favre came to the Packers, he is returning for a 17th season. He has had a great career with our organization and although we built this year around the assumption that Brett meant what he said about retiring, Brett is coming back. We will welcome him back and turn this situation to our advantage.


Frankly, Brett's change of mind put us in a very difficult spot. We now will revise many actions and assumptions about our long-term future, all predicated on Brett's decision last March to retire. As a result of his decision, we invested considerably in a new and different future without Brett and we were obviously moving in that direction. That's why this wasn't easy. Having crossed the Rubicon once when Brett decided to retire, it's very difficult to reorient our plans and cross it again in the opposite direction -- but we'll put this to our advantage.

Brett will be in camp tomorrow. Although there has been uncertainty regarding Brett's return, Ted Thompson and Coach McCarthy had previously discussed this and have had a plan in place. Coach McCarthy will talk to the team and the quarterbacks about the plan moving forward, and after he has done that we will share it publicly.

No matter what, I look forward to another successful season for the Packers and our fans. This has been a tough situation, but the Packers will make the most of it.
Goodell had held off on granting Favre's request for reinstatement for nearly a week. He hoped Favre and the team could resolve their standoff. By reinstating Favre, Goodell is following through on a recent promise to force action.

Earlier Sunday, Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, confirmed that Favre planned to fly to Green Bay on Sunday and report to the Packers on Monday.

"That's the plan," Cook said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Packers officials planned to greet Favre upon his arrival to Green Bay.

Favre does not plan to attend the sold-out Packers Family Night at Lambeau Field, which more than 60,000 fans were expected to attend.

Favre's imminent presence in training camp could cause a major disruption to the team and sets up scenarios of either a competition with Aaron Rodgers for the starting job or the Packers continuing to work on finding a trade partner for the former league MVP and Super Bowl champion.

Favre retired in March but has been having second thoughts for weeks. Team officials have maintained that if Favre returned to the Packers, it would be in some role other than as the starter -- and have said Rodgers is their starter.

Publicly, team officials have ruled out releasing Favre, likely for fear he would sign with division-rival Minnesota.

Goodell told the NFL Network on Saturday that he thinks the situation has lingered long enough.

"I think we have to force it," Goodell said. "I think it's come to the point where there needs to be some decisions made on behalf of the Packers, on behalf of Brett, on behalf of all the fans."

I LOVE it. And after Aaron's sub-par performance in last night's scrimmage (like 37% against our B team); the buzz is that Brett will have his job by opening day. Fingers way crossed.

[size=29]Go Packers![/size]

OCCOM BILL wrote:

I LOVE it. And after Aaron's sub-par performance in last night's scrimmage (like 37% against our B team); the buzz is that Brett will have his job by opening day. Fingers way crossed.

[size=29]Go Packers![/size]

So, let's say Rodgers has a typical first-time starting QB year. Let's say one equivalent to Brett's first year--choc full o' interceptions. We still have a QB developing as a leader with an equally young team. But we also have, in two or three years, a legitimate Super Bowl contender for years to come.

The scenario I see with Brett at the helm is a Hall of Fame QB clearly still capabale of being one of the best in the league. Yet one who admitted his heart is not still in the game. And if his off-season antics aren't proof of that, what is? There is a chance we'll get a performance from him similar to last year's. Then again, there is a chance we'll get a performance similar to the one two years ago. What's certain is, in a blustery game at Soldier Field, or in the playoofs, his inner "waffler" will be a liability.

And Rodgers will be damaged goods with every reason to mistrust Packers management.

Brett's bad for Green Bat at this point, any way you slice it.

Fingers crossed.

Do you really think Rodgers is going to want to play for the Packers long-term after suffering the greatest blue-balling--wherein McCarthy announces publicly that he's the man--in NFL history? Then we wait another 3 or more years to develop a competent QB.

They don't grow on trees. Here in Chicago, good QBs are as fantastical as unicorns. No one believes they exist.