Is Sunday D-Day when it comes to the standoff between the Packers and Brett Favre?
Green Bay players report to training camp Sunday and practice Monday, and club officials reportedly are doing everything they can to settle the matter before then.
It’s rather unlikely that Favre would just show up, and he still has to formally apply for reinstatement. But a trade could certainly happen, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has encouraged Packers general manager Ted Thompson to survey all NFL teams in an effort to gauge trade interest in Favre and attempt to resolve the situation quickly.
And in what appears to be a clear signal that something may happen soon, Packers president Mark Murphy announced Thursday at a press conference that plans to retire Favre’s jersey are now on hold. That ceremony was to happen on the Monday night opener against the Vikings.
If Favre is on his way out, Tampa Bay has been regarded as the front-runner because coach Jon Gruden is a former Packers assistant and runs a version of the West Coast offense to which Favre could adapt easily. Bucs starter Jeff Garcia, who like Favre is 38, is in the final year of his contract and unhappy about the lack of progress on an extension. So why not a Favre for Garcia trade, with Garcia backing up Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay?
Yet some reports say Favre doesn’t want to practice and play in the Florida heat (isn’t he from Mississippi?), and he could in effect block any trade by refusing to come out of retirement.
ESPN reported this week that the Packers contacted the Philadelphia Eagles about Favre. Eagles coach Andy Reid was a Packers assistant from 1992-98, and Favre’s position coach the final two years. But they have Donovan McNabb and a QB of the future in Kevin Kolb.
Of course, Favre wants to play for the Vikings, who have been accused of tampering by the Packers, but that’s not going to happen. Shoot, there was even a mini-storm of controversy that Favre called Vikings officials on a Packers-issued cell phone, but that claim has been refuted.
Other NFC teams the Packers reportedly have spoken to about a trade are the Atlanta Falcons (where Favre began his career), Washington Redskins and Carolina Panthers.
Green Bay officials have already talked with many AFC teams, and they prefer to send Favre to that conference, but the Houston Texans, New York Jets, and Baltimore Ravens reportedly said they are not interested.
