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Packers: Sources say Favre reneged on deal to return
By JASON WILDE
608-252-6176
jwilde@madison.com
GREEN BAY — Brett Favre had his chance to come back to the Green Bay Packers at the end of March, but the legendary quarterback reneged on an agreement then to unretire — part of the reason why the Packers aren't now welcoming back the legendary quarterback.
According to two NFL sources, Favre informed the Packers during the annual NFL meetings in late March — less than a month after his tearful March 6 retirement news conference — that he wanted to play again. FoxSports.com's Jay Glazer first reported that information Friday afternoon.
The State Journal's sources along with Glazer's sources said that, at the time, Packers coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson told Favre they would welcome him back, and plans were made for him to return — a colossal commitment to a player who had just publicly said he no longer wanted to play anymore, wiping away tears while saying he didn't have "anything left to give."
In fact, Thompson — he has been criticized publicly by Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, and by members of Favre's family for supposedly not wanting the quarterback back — made the final call on whether the team would welcome Favre's return. Thompson agreed to bring back Favre, even though it meant forcing heir apparent Aaron Rodgers to sit yet another year behind the future Hall of Famer.
The Packers went so far as to charter a plane to Mississippi to finalize the agreement.
But two days before the meeting was set to take place, Favre called and informed McCarthy that he had changed his mind yet again and had decided that he wanted to stay retired.
Burned by the change of heart, the team decided to commit fully to moving on without Favre, the sources said. Rodgers was told the starting job was his, and the Packers drafted a pair of quarterbacks — second-rounder Brian Brohm and seventh-rounder Matt Flynn — as backups. They also began altering the offense to accomodate Rodgers' strengths.
Then, three weeks ago, Favre contacted McCarthy and said he had the "itch" to play again, and the team was cool to the idea. That led to what transpired Friday, when the Packers received a letter from Cook asking for Favre's unconditional release.
Sources said the team has no intention of releasing Favre, however. Instead, the Packers would be more likely to try to trade Favre, to control his destination and to prevent him going from an NFC North Division rival.
The Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears could be interested in Favre, who would be considered a significant upgrade over the Vikings' (Tarvaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte) and the Bears' (Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton) options at quarterback.
The Bears reached Super Bowl XL two years ago despite Grossman's inconsistent play. The Vikings, meanwhile, are a chic pick for Super Bowl XLII, and coach Brad Childress runs a version of the West Coast offense. Favre's former quarterbacks coach in Green Bay, Darrell Bevell, is the Vikings' offensive coordinator, while ex-Packers Ryan Longwell, Darren Sharper and Robert Ferguson are on the roster.
The Packers are scheduled to retire Favre's No. 4 at a ceremony at Lambeau Field during the Sept. 8 regular-season opener against the Vikings on "Monday Night Football."
But sources said it's virtually impossible that the Packers would ever let Favre go to such a rival. The team would rather keep Favre on its roster as a backup to Aaron Rodgers — an incredibly awkward situation in its own right — than let him play for the Vikings.
Other teams that could be interested in Favre are the Miami Dolphins, the Carolina Panthers, the New York Jets and the Atlanta Falcons, Favre's first team when he entered the NFL as a second-round pick in 1991.
If any team already has contacted Favre or Cook about the possibility of him playing for them, that team would have engaged in tampering, a violation of NFL rules.
According to one NFL source, Cook had contacted the Vikings about Favre playing for them, given his close relationship with Bevell — a former University of Wisconsin star — and the offense being similar to the one the Packers ran under former coach Mike Sherman.
In April, the Los Angeles Times reported — and the State Journal confirmed — that Cook had been quietly talking to teams to gauge interest should Favre return. Since Cook and Favre opted to send the letter about being released, it's possible those conversations could have reached more serious levels than allowed by NFL rules.
Cook's letter to the Packers on Friday asked the Packers to release his client "with no strings attached," and stated that Favre does not want to be traded because he wants the freedom to choose the team for which he wants to play.
Regardless, sources said, the next step for the Packers would be to start talking to possible trading partners to gauge Favre's trade value, because they would want to get a deal done before players report to training camp July 27.
The 38-year-old Favre had a renaissance season in 2007, completing a career-best 66.5 percent of his regular-season passes for 4,155 yards, 28 touchdowns and 15 interceptions for a 95.7 passer rating (his best since 1995) while leading the team with the youngest opening-day roster in the NFL to the NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field, where the Packers lost in overtime to the eventual Super Bowl XLII-champion New York Giants.
By JASON WILDE
608-252-6176
jwilde@madison.com
GREEN BAY — Brett Favre had his chance to come back to the Green Bay Packers at the end of March, but the legendary quarterback reneged on an agreement then to unretire — part of the reason why the Packers aren't now welcoming back the legendary quarterback.
According to two NFL sources, Favre informed the Packers during the annual NFL meetings in late March — less than a month after his tearful March 6 retirement news conference — that he wanted to play again. FoxSports.com's Jay Glazer first reported that information Friday afternoon.
The State Journal's sources along with Glazer's sources said that, at the time, Packers coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson told Favre they would welcome him back, and plans were made for him to return — a colossal commitment to a player who had just publicly said he no longer wanted to play anymore, wiping away tears while saying he didn't have "anything left to give."
In fact, Thompson — he has been criticized publicly by Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, and by members of Favre's family for supposedly not wanting the quarterback back — made the final call on whether the team would welcome Favre's return. Thompson agreed to bring back Favre, even though it meant forcing heir apparent Aaron Rodgers to sit yet another year behind the future Hall of Famer.
The Packers went so far as to charter a plane to Mississippi to finalize the agreement.
But two days before the meeting was set to take place, Favre called and informed McCarthy that he had changed his mind yet again and had decided that he wanted to stay retired.
Burned by the change of heart, the team decided to commit fully to moving on without Favre, the sources said. Rodgers was told the starting job was his, and the Packers drafted a pair of quarterbacks — second-rounder Brian Brohm and seventh-rounder Matt Flynn — as backups. They also began altering the offense to accomodate Rodgers' strengths.
Then, three weeks ago, Favre contacted McCarthy and said he had the "itch" to play again, and the team was cool to the idea. That led to what transpired Friday, when the Packers received a letter from Cook asking for Favre's unconditional release.
Sources said the team has no intention of releasing Favre, however. Instead, the Packers would be more likely to try to trade Favre, to control his destination and to prevent him going from an NFC North Division rival.
The Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears could be interested in Favre, who would be considered a significant upgrade over the Vikings' (Tarvaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte) and the Bears' (Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton) options at quarterback.
The Bears reached Super Bowl XL two years ago despite Grossman's inconsistent play. The Vikings, meanwhile, are a chic pick for Super Bowl XLII, and coach Brad Childress runs a version of the West Coast offense. Favre's former quarterbacks coach in Green Bay, Darrell Bevell, is the Vikings' offensive coordinator, while ex-Packers Ryan Longwell, Darren Sharper and Robert Ferguson are on the roster.
The Packers are scheduled to retire Favre's No. 4 at a ceremony at Lambeau Field during the Sept. 8 regular-season opener against the Vikings on "Monday Night Football."
But sources said it's virtually impossible that the Packers would ever let Favre go to such a rival. The team would rather keep Favre on its roster as a backup to Aaron Rodgers — an incredibly awkward situation in its own right — than let him play for the Vikings.
Other teams that could be interested in Favre are the Miami Dolphins, the Carolina Panthers, the New York Jets and the Atlanta Falcons, Favre's first team when he entered the NFL as a second-round pick in 1991.
If any team already has contacted Favre or Cook about the possibility of him playing for them, that team would have engaged in tampering, a violation of NFL rules.
According to one NFL source, Cook had contacted the Vikings about Favre playing for them, given his close relationship with Bevell — a former University of Wisconsin star — and the offense being similar to the one the Packers ran under former coach Mike Sherman.
In April, the Los Angeles Times reported — and the State Journal confirmed — that Cook had been quietly talking to teams to gauge interest should Favre return. Since Cook and Favre opted to send the letter about being released, it's possible those conversations could have reached more serious levels than allowed by NFL rules.
Cook's letter to the Packers on Friday asked the Packers to release his client "with no strings attached," and stated that Favre does not want to be traded because he wants the freedom to choose the team for which he wants to play.
Regardless, sources said, the next step for the Packers would be to start talking to possible trading partners to gauge Favre's trade value, because they would want to get a deal done before players report to training camp July 27.
The 38-year-old Favre had a renaissance season in 2007, completing a career-best 66.5 percent of his regular-season passes for 4,155 yards, 28 touchdowns and 15 interceptions for a 95.7 passer rating (his best since 1995) while leading the team with the youngest opening-day roster in the NFL to the NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field, where the Packers lost in overtime to the eventual Super Bowl XLII-champion New York Giants.
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