Brett Favre wants release from Packers

[Saguaro]

The Green Bay Packers want to do the right thing in response to Brett Favre's latest round of flip-flopping on his future in football.

And as far as the team is concerned, that might mean showing No. 4 the door — although working out a trade might be more palatable to the Packers than granting Favre the release he has requested.

Favre asked the Packers to release him so he can return to the NFL with another team after apparently being told his latest retirement reversal wasn't welcome news in Green Bay. The team said it would do "what's right" in response to Favre's request, which was first reported by ESPN on Friday.

"Brett earned and exercised the right to retire on his terms," the team's statement said.

"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."

The 38-year-old Favre retired March 6 after a 17-year career, openly sobbing as he contemplated a future without football. But almost immediately, he began dropping hints that he was having second thoughts.

The most recent and intense round came Friday, when ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that sources close to Favre and the team told him agent James "Bus" Cook asked the Packers for Favre's release in a letter because the Packers were not receptive to the idea of Favre wanting to play again.

The Packers' front office has spent the past several offseasons dealing with weeks and months worth of speculation about the three-time MVP's future plans. But this time, they're apparently not biting.

The Packers' statement said Favre, who was placed on the reserve/retired list, has the right to petition NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to be reinstated — a request the league would grant automatically. After that, Favre would return to the team's active roster.

But the statement did not specify what the Packers would do after that, beyond doing "what's right and in the best interest of the team."

If the team has committed to moving forward without Favre, their options once he was reinstated would include trading him to another team or releasing him so he would be free to sign with the team of his choice.

The Packers have made it clear they're committed to going with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a first-round pick in 2005 who has been sitting behind Favre for his first three seasons in the NFL.

Releasing Favre presents the possibility that he will sign with NFC North rivals Minnesota or Chicago, where he would be an upgrade over the incumbent QBs.

If the Packers traded him, there would be teams outside the division such as Baltimore or Tampa Bay, and perhaps Washington, that would be interested. There also has been speculation he could go to Miami for disgruntled defensive end Jason Taylor, the 2006 defensive player of the year.

Either way, it would be an ugly end to what has been one of the most celebrated partnerships in recent NFL history.

"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," the statement said. "Brett and Deanna will always be a part of the Packers family."

Even if that family is looking awfully dysfunctional these days.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080712/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_packers_favre;_ylt=Amq6OteNSRKELjfpS98MNX6s0NU E

[Blue Flame]

I wonder where he would go?

[Saguaro]

Probably anywhere he wants to

[Blue Flame]

I think he would want to go where he could start and that has a good defense

[Saguaro]

Tampa Bay ?

[Blue Flame]

Chicago

[Saguaro]

The Pats,Colts, and Broncos are 3 that wouldn't let him be a starter

[Blue Flame]

I Think you would have to add the Giant's in there too.
:godzilla

[Saguaro]

:teehee Oh yea, forgot about them

[Saguaro]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Fresh off the practice field, Jon Gruden dodged question after question about Brett Favre. At times, the Tampa Bay coach even feigned compassion for a horde of reporters frustrated by vague answers.

The sweat-drenched coach insisted he was not trying to be evasive Wednesday about the state of Tampa Bay's pursuit of the Green Bay Packers quarterback as a replacement for Jeff Garcia, repeatedly claiming he simply didn't have enough information to talk about the situation.

"Don't shoot the messenger here, guys. I'm just a football coach," he said at one point. "I just went through 196 plays. I've got a lot on my mind. I'm hot. I'm tired."

Three minutes later, he ended the session with a smile: "Can I go now?"

The Bucs still haven't confirmed publicly that they are interested in Favre, however Gruden conceded the quarterback's saga is "unprecedented" and acknowledged he's always willing to explore ways to improve his team.

Garcia was brought in as a free agent last year and led Tampa Bay to a division title and was selected to play in the Pro Bowl for the fourth time.

Nevertheless, his grip on the starting job likely will end if the Bucs complete a trade for the iconic Packers quarterback who's coming out of retirement.

"I don't want to speculate. No disrespect to any of the questions. But for me to keep speculating on this report and that report is just not right," Gruden said.

"I have a lot of respect for the situation. It's unprecedented, in my opinion. I'm just going to be real careful right now saying anything because I don't have all the facts."

Another question that can't be answered with certainty is how long it would might take Favre to learn and feel comfortable in Gruden's version of the West Coast offense, which the coach maintains is not as complicated as some people think.

Brad Johnson led Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl title in his first season in the system. And, Gruden pointed out Bruce Gradkowski started 11 games as a rookie in 2006 and Garcia played well enough in 2007 that he went to the Pro Bowl in his first year with the Bucs.

"I get tired of how hard it is. ... Anything is possible if you put your heart in it, you put your soul into and believe it can happen," Gruden said, adding that former Bucs backup Tim Rattay learned the offense well enough after a midseason trade that he was able to win a game as a starter.

"This is an unprecedented situation, at least in my opinion. I was in Oakland when we got Jerry Rice. That was similar to this from the standpoint, he's probably the best receiver to ever play."

Garcia, who did not practice Wednesday because of calf sprain, was not available for comment.

But after reporting to camp on July 28, the veteran of 14 pro seasons — nine in the NFL — addressed speculation about the Bucs' interest Favre. He was asked how long it takes even an experienced quarterback to pick up Gruden's terminology.

Garcia has spent all of his NFL career in West Coast systems and had nearly an entire offseason to get acclimated in Tampa Bay. Still, he said the season was nearly half over before he felt he had a real good grasp.

"There is variation to the West Coast styles of offense. I had a chance to work with the Green Bay staff in Hawaii this year at the Pro Bowl, and their terminology was very different than ours. Different coaches who have coached the system have added different levels to the system," Garcia said.

"Coach Gruden has taken it a certain direction and he's multiplied maybe what I experienced in San Francisco with (Steve) Mariucci and in Philly with the coaches there. He's multiplied it probably three or four (times) with the amount of volume we have in the system."

That said, Garcia still expressed the belief that Favre would be up to the task because of his long tenure in Green Bay, where Gruden was a receivers coach when Favre joined the Packers in 1992.

Gruden said following the Bucs' morning practice at Disney World that "Brett's situation will resolve itself during the coming days, I would assume."

He reiterated the rumors that have been swirling for weeks have not been a distraction for his players.

"There's speculation about all of us," Gruden said. "Our No. 1 objective is to try to win. We'll do anything to get the best football team we can. That's all I can say. That's something that will not change."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080807/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_bucs_favre;_ylt=AsTZmhj6.tc19d8Ja.390jGs0NUE

[AYFR]

He needs to retire

[Saguaro]

He's retired twice now ?

I am just sick of hearing about it

[AYFR]

He need to re-retire.

He has retired once and came back.

Retirement and return (2008)

Brett Favre during the pre-game warm-ups against the Chicago Bears.

On March 4, 2008, Favre formally announced his retirement.[51][52][53][54] Favre's agent, Bus Cook, stated "Nobody pushed Brett Favre out the door but then nobody encouraged him not to go out that door either. I don't think he had a lot of encouragement to stay, but nobody told him to leave either."[55] Cook also believed that Favre had not gotten the impression from the Packers that they wanted him back. Although Favre stated that he had been willing to play another year, he felt that another season would only be successful if he led his team to another Super Bowl victory. He added the chances for a Super Bowl win are small, and that he wasn't up for the challenge.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brett_Favre

[Yellowdogtexan]

ESPN is reporting that he has been traded to the NY Jets. It is not clear if the trade is final. At least he is a different conference.