Holy Crap! Favre'll show up for camp!

[boiga]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story;jsessionid=2918F979C2874F696317B4B4828284E2?id=09000d5d809817f1&template=with-video&confirm=true

During a telephone conversation Thursday with Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson, quarterback Brett Favre conveyed he is planning to return to the team and report to training camp this weekend.

I really wonder when on thursday this call was made. Was Ted really facing down all those fans in the atrium with the full knowledge that Brett would likely be in Green Bay by monday? Or did Brett see that the Packers didn't trash him in the shareholder meeting and decided to play nice?

If Ted knew all of this before the meeting, then that man has balls of steel to not even hint to the fans what was going on.

[Rastak]

The latest from ESPN:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3504613

The New York Jets have received permission to talk to retired Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, a source told ESPN's Chris Mortensen on Friday.

Also Friday, a Packers source told Mortensen that Favre informed Packers general manager Ted Thompson by phone on Thursday that he was planning to report to the team's training camp this weekend.

The Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have expressed interest in Favre, according to a Packers source.

Favre, who retired in April, hasn't made a decision on whether to send in his reinstatement letter. He would need to do that to report to camp.

Favre has asked to be released from his contract and is aware of the Jets' and Bucs' interest, the source said. The Packers have no intention of releasing Favre from his contract, which expires after the 2010 season.



The Packers made phone calls Tuesday to several teams after being encouraged by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to resolve the controversy surrounding Favre before camp opens, according to league and players union sources.



On Wednesday, NFL officials said privately that Favre and the Packers have been talking about which teams he'd be willing to go to in a potential trade, according to ESPN's Sal Paolantonio.


It was the clearest signal yet that the Packers will deal Favre to resolve the current stalemate. Green Bay, which has committed to Aaron Rodgers as its quarterback of the future, wants to keep Favre away from its NFC North rivals -- especially the Minnesota Vikings.



Goodell has been briefed by Thompson on the status of the team's approach with Favre. Goodell has encouraged the Packers to accelerate that process by surveying teams around the league to determine if there is a trade partner, sources said.



Goodell also has spoken with Favre, the sources said, telling the veteran passer that he was willing to assist in the process, if necessary.



Several teams in the AFC and NFC confirmed they have been contacted by the Packers.



On Thursday, at the Packers' annual shareholders meeting, team president and CEO Mark Murphy hinted at the possibility of Favre playing for another team by conjuring the image of Joe Montana in a Kansas City Chiefs uniform.



"We want to have positive feelings about Brett and the Packers, and we want him to continue to be a part of the Packer family," Murphy said. "I think the way this is handled will be important in terms of how that plays out in the future. But I'm also cognizant of some of the things that have happened in the past with Joe Montana ending his career with the Chiefs, now you look back on it, most people might not remember that he played with the Chiefs. They remember he was a 49er."



Information from ESPN reporters Chris Mortensen and Sal Paolantonio and The Associated Press was used in this report.

[Lurker64]

I wonder how the Jets are going to find $12 million worth of cap room in a hurry. They had like $18 million at the start of free agency, but they spent a lot of it signing FAs. I guess that's one reason to not spend all your cap money in FA every year...

[gbgary]

wow...the carnival just turned into a full-blown three-ring circus.

[Fosco33]

So did he file the reinstatement papers w/ the league?

[Jimx29]

No matter what happens, it still just blows my effing mind that TT and his HUGE ego doesn't want Brett at QB.......

[boiga]

http://blogs.jsonline.com/packers/archive/2008/07/25/favre-appears-headed-to-green-bay.aspx

JSO caught up to the news. Here's an interesting snip:

The Packers, the source said, have told laid out their plan at quarterback, including a committment to Aaron Rodgers as the starter, but apparently Favre is willing to come in and either compete for the job or play a secondary role. It doesn't appear the Packers have any objection to Favre coming back as long as he understands the current pecking order.

A league source said the word coming from Cook is that Favre's first choice is to play for the Packers, who he thinks have as good a chance as any team to go to the Super Bowl. According to the source, Cook has expressed that to various people.

It would certainly be nice if they were serious... but I doubt it.

[3irty1]

Good odds that he's coming back to start I'd say. Couldn't be happier.

[RashanGary]

Good odds that he's coming back to start I'd say. Couldn't be happier.

I'd say there are good odds that you'll be disappointed. Trade seems much more likely.

[Partial]

My guess is all the management felt the heat from 50% of Packer fans ready to turn Aaron Rodgers into Nancy Kerrigan, and realized how wrong wrong wrong they are for turning their back on the face of the franchise and for spitting in the face of fans ready to win now.

[BallHawk]

Good odds that he's coming back to start I'd say. Couldn't be happier.

The odds are still less than 50% that he'll be starting for the Pack against the Vikes.

[Partial]

Good odds that he's coming back to start I'd say. Couldn't be happier.

The odds are still less than 50% that he'll be starting for the Pack against the Vikes.

What crack are you smoking? If they don't intend to trade him, how can you NOT start him?!?

[Gunakor]

Maybe they could alternate series during the season. Or maybe we can devise a package where both are on the field at the same time.

You certainly must know by now, if you have two quarterbacks that means you don't have one. I am all for a QB competition in preseason, but whoever wins must be annointed the full time QB. No alternating series or quarters or whatever. The offense will be less efficient. I like to use Arizona as an example. They have all the talent in the world surrounding thier TWO fine quarterbacks, but as long as they have TWO quarterbacks they'll never have the ONE quarterback that will take them where they want to go.

[BallHawk]

Good odds that he's coming back to start I'd say. Couldn't be happier.

The odds are still less than 50% that he'll be starting for the Pack against the Vikes.

What crack are you smoking? If they don't intend to trade him, how can you NOT start him?!?

If you've already made a commitment to another QB.

And they do intend to trade him. If anything, I'm pretty sure that would be their first choice, especially if they can get a 2nd.

What makes you think that Favre will be the starter? Logically.

[3irty1]

Maybe they could alternate series during the season. Or maybe we can devise a package where both are on the field at the same time.

You certainly must know by now, if you have two quarterbacks that means you don't have one. I am all for a QB competition in preseason, but whoever wins must be annointed the full time QB. No alternating series or quarters or whatever. The offense will be less efficient. I like to use Arizona as an example. They have all the talent in the world surrounding thier TWO fine quarterbacks, but as long as they have TWO quarterbacks they'll never have the ONE quarterback that will take them where they want to go.

He was joking.