Brett Favre Wants Out

In the news today, Green Bay Packers (retired?) quarterback Brett Favre announced he's not ready to retire. He wants to come back and play football again. But, it doesn't look like he'll be playing for the Packers.

In an official letter from his agent, Brett has asked for an unconditional release from the Packers. This would leave him wide open to play with any other NFL team. The Packers General Manager Ted Thompson isn't ready to let that happen.

Brett Favre has made it clear he wants to play again, and it looks like it's going to be somewhere else. But the bombshell developments in this story kept on coming Friday afternoon, as sources explained why the Packers aren't so receptive to the legend's return.

It began with news Favre is turning up the heat on the Packers in his efforts to return to the NFL. According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Favre has asked the Packers for his unconditional release in a letter from his agent, which the team received Friday morning.

In so many words, agent Bus Cook said Favre's accomplishments merit the team honoring his request and that they would like an amicable parting of the ways.

The complete Green Bay Packers statement

The Green Bay Packers are aware of the latest developments regarding Brett Favre.

Brett earned and exercised the right to retire on his terms. We wanted him to return and welcomed him back on more than one occasion.

Brett's press conference and subsequent conversations in the following weeks illustrated his commitment to retirement.

The finality of his decision to retire was accepted by the organization. At that point, the Green Bay Packers made the commitment to move forward with our football team.

As a retired player, Brett has the option to apply for reinstatement with Commissioner Goodell. If that were to occur, he would become an active member of the Green Bay Packers. As always, the Packers will do what's right and in the best interest of the team.

As with all Packers greats, Brett's legacy will always be celebrated by our fans and the organization, regardless of any change in his personal intentions.

Brett and Deanna will always be a part of the Packers family.

An NFL source confirmed to Action 2 News what is in that report -- that Favre and his agent talked with general manager Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy in a conference call on Tuesday, and it was in that call that Favre assured them he wants to play this year.
But that was not the first discussion between Favre and the team. Our source also confirms that someone from the organization visited Favre in Mississippi a few weeks ago, trying to diffuse this situation before it got to this point... too late.

Friday afternoon, the Packers responded, telling the media, quote:

As a retired player, Brett has the option to apply for reinstatement with Commissioner Goodell. If that were to occur, he would become an active member of the Green Bay Packers. As always, the Packers will do what's right and in the best interest of the team.

This effectively puts the proverbial ball back in Favre's court.

Friday evening, Jay Glazer from Fox Sports dropped another bombshell. Glazer's report, citing multiple sources -- and since confirmed by our own Tuesday Night Touchback's Jason Wilde's sources -- said Favre approached the team in late March saying he wanted to play again, and both Coach McCarthy and Thompson agreed he could come back.

The team even chartered a jet to go to Mississippi to make an announcement later in the week.

Then, two days before that meeting, Favre informed Coach McCarthy that he had changed his mind again and would stay retired.

That's why when Favre approached the team a month ago about returning again, McCarthy and Thompson were ready to move on.

"Now we have more of the picture," Wilde told Action 2 News. "Favre had his opportunity to come back."

Thompson has been taking a storm of criticism from fans and Favre's family, Wilde said, but it was Favre who pulled the trigger.

While the Packers aren't receptive to Favre's return, they do not want to release him, because he would be free to sign with any other team in the league, including quarterback-starved teams (and long-time rivals) like the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings.

It is important to note here that Favre did not officially ask to be reinstated from the reserve-retired list. Such a request must also be made to the league. When that happens, a team has 24 hours to either active the player, trade him, or release him.

Favre's request was informal and the Packers are not on the clock, so to speak.

I was a little disappointed to hear that Brett Favre would even think about playing for another team. I kind of thought he would retire, forever a Packer. But, football is in his blood, and he's got to do what he's got to do.

The Packers have moved on, giving Aaron Rogers the lead in taking the team to the Super Bowl. I mean, the guy has been waiting for years for his time to shine, and it wouldn't be right to take it away from him now just because good ole' Brett might want to come back. I think it's about time he make up his mind and quit stringing his fans along.

While I'm sad to see Brett maybe playing with another team, I think we need to take the Packers' advice and move on along with them. Brett Favre is a legend, and his name will always be synonymous with the Green Bay Packers. Truth be told, he is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. But I say, enough is enough. Go out on top, and leave well enough alone.