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Report: Favre will report to Packers' camp; Jets emerge as potential trade partner

Associated Press  —  7/26/2008 12:19 pm

GREEN BAY — Brett Favre told the Green Bay Packers he plans to report to training camp this weekend, the NFL Network reported Friday, in a move perhaps designed to force the team to quickly trade the three-time MVP.

Favre informed general manager Ted Thompson on Thursday of his decision and will petition NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to be reinstated as early as Friday, the NFL Network said.

Favre's presence could cause a major distraction for the Packers, providing the team additional motivation to work out a trade.

The team committed to moving on with Aaron Rodgers after Favre retired in early March, led them to believe he was coming back in late March, then decided to stay retired — until he apparently changed his mind once again in recent weeks.

Packers players are scheduled to move into their dorm rooms on Saturday, and their first team meeting is scheduled for Sunday morning. Their first practice is Monday morning.

Team officials did not immediately return telephone calls from The Associated Press. Packers coach Mike McCarthy is scheduled to address the media on Saturday.

Speculation on a potential new home for Favre has centered on Tampa Bay, but the New York Jets also are emerging as a potential trade partner for the Packers. On Friday, Jets coach Eric Mangini brushed off — but didn't deny — an ESPN.com report that the Jets had been given permission to talk to Favre.

"With all discussions, those things are internal and that really hasn't changed," Mangini said, adding that he and Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum talk every night about "a lot of different things" but always keep them internal.

Mangini reiterated that he was happy with the team's quarterbacks.

"I feel the same way as I felt yesterday and nothing's changed," Mangini said. "With any conversations me and Mike have, Mike likes to talk about a lot of different scenarios and he enjoys a good chart, he enjoys a good graph and he enjoys a lot of scenarios. That's what he does, and that's what he's supposed to do. So, just normal discussions that we always have."

But when asked if the Jets were looking into adding any veteran quarterbacks, Mangini conceded that it would be "normal operating procedure" for the team to look into "different scenarios."

"As I said, I'm happy with the quarterbacks we have and we look at a lot of different scenarios every night," Mangini said. "And trust me when I tell you that we look into a lot of different scenarios every night. It's just normal operating procedure for us."

And that's just about the only thing normal in the ongoing Favre saga.

In an interview with Fox News last week, Favre said it was "tempting" to show up to Packers camp to call the Packers' "bluff."

But, Favre added: "I don't want to go back there just to stick it to them."

Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy reiterated Thursday that if Favre were to return to the Packers, it would be in "a different role" — presumably not as the starter.

"We said we would welcome him back, and he'll have a different role," Murphy said, speaking with reporters after Thursday's Packers shareholders meeting. "But what's going to happen if that occurs, we'll have to look and see the situation at the time. That's a little bit of a technicality. But I guess there's two questions. We have said we would welcome him back. But whether he will come back is another question. And a lot of it goes back to, we want to work with Brett, and be fair to him and help give him what he wants."

Packers officials have not publicly discussed the possibility of trading Favre, but Murphy might have hinted at such a move when he conjured 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."

Favre hadn't filed for reinstatement as of Friday evening.

"He has to file it," Murphy said. "It's not like there's any question it will be granted, but it's a step that has to be taken."

Once Favre's request to be reinstated is approved by the commissioner, the Packers must place him on their active roster or release him. Thompson has said the team has no plans to release Favre.

The Packers have filed tampering charges against the Minnesota Vikings, suspecting that interest from their division rival was the main reason Favre suddenly changed his mind on retirement.

Favre's rights belong to the Packers until his contract expires after the 2010 season.

Favre ripped Thompson during the interview for being untruthful with him on a series of personnel moves in recent years. But Murphy said Thursday he didn't think a potential return by Favre would cause tension within the team.

"I don't think so," Murphy said. "We have such respect for Brett and what he's meant to this organization, there will be no tension. But that's a call that Ted and Mike have to make."

Associated Press  —  7/26/2008 12:19 pm