Posted Mar. 30, 2006
By Pete Dougherty
PackersNews.com

The Green Bay Packers would like to know as soon as possible whether Brett Favre will be their quarterback this season, but they haven’t set a Saturday deadline for his decision.

Though the team and Favre’s agent moved back the date for Favre to earn his $3 million roster bonus from March 20 to April 1, that later date — as previously reported — is artificial. Favre doesn’t receive the money until September, and then only if he’s with the team. So in reality, it’s a September roster bonus.

Some national media outlets have interpreted the April 1 date as a firm deadline and reported it as such.

A source close to the situation said Favre was upset Tuesday night when he saw an ESPN report that the Packers have asked for his decision by Saturday; no one from the team has expressed any such deadline to him.

When the Packers and Favre’s agent, Bus Cook, moved back the date of the roster bonus to April 1, they no doubt were hoping to have the situation resolved by then.

Favre talked with coach Mike McCarthy earlier this month and has been speaking with General Manager Ted Thompson each week, so he knows the Packers want to know sooner than later whether he’s coming back.

But several sources close to the situation said that while April 1 might be a target date, it isn’t a deadline. McCarthy confirmed that Wednesday night.

“I don’t know where that got flipped,” McCarthy said. “No different than the March 20 date. The word ‘deadline⠢‚¬â„¢ never came out of my mouth. There’s no deadline.”

McCarthy said he expects to talk to Favre within the next couple of days.

While all signs suggest that by waiting so long to decide, Favre intends to play in 2006, he’s also watching the team’s offseason moves to make sure the Packers aren’t in store for struggles similar to last year’s 4-12 season.

The question is how long Favre can wait without hurting the team. If he doesn’t return, the Packers will have to begin preparing last year’s first-round draft pick, Aaron Rodgers, to be their starter and sign a veteran quarterback with some starting experience in case Rodgers isn’t ready.

While the Packers are getting closer to the point where they need to know Favre’s decision, they’re not there yet or they would have asked Favre for a firm deadline.

An important indicator of whether Favre will return is his offseason training. A source with knowledge of his offseason activities said Favre has not rehired the personal trainer who put him through a core-training program a year ago, but that he’s been doing core workouts on his own early this offseason.

When Favre decided to return last year, he didn’t hold a press conference. The news was released by Packers coach Mike Sherman.

A source who knows Favre speculated that he again probably wouldn’t make a formal announcement if he’s going to return. Instead, Favre might use an informal gathering such as his celebrity charity golf tournament, which will be April 6-9 in Tunica, Miss., to announce his plans.