News has broken that in a text message to ESPN's Ed Werder, Brett Favre is seriously considering the team's offer of a $20m package that would see him not play in the NFL again. The package is now also said to hold a lifetime role for Favre within the organisation.
The news is unexpected, to say the least. Favre seems set on playing, and has even indicated to Werder that he wants to play - if not with the Packers - for another NFC North team. In his own words:
I still want to play in this division for obvious reasons, which I made clear to management. If they won't let me play in Green Bay, let me play against you.
- Brett Favre via Text to ESPN's Ed Werder
Favre is obviously comfortable with the division, and in fairness to him, has played against the Vikings, Bears, and Lions enough to know that he can beat them. The chance to stick it to Green Bay's front office is also a factor.
On the other hand, this latest development seems to indicate that Favre perhaps misses the day to day involvement with football, rather than simply playing. He has always thrived on the banter and cameraderie of the locker room, and it has lifted him out of some major personal issues in the past. Perhaps that lack of a safety blanket has left him fearing that he could slide into obscurity. In any case, it seems that Favre was not entirely honest when he said he was '100% committed to playing' this year.
Favre has to be careful here. On the one hand, it would be a tremendous compromise for both sides, allowing the acrimony of recent weeks to be buried. On the other hand, he must be clear that he is not accepting the $20m for financial reasons, but because he wishes to be involved with the team in an active way.
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