GREEN BAY -- The Green Bay Packers aren't ruling out the slim possibility Brett Favre could be on their 2008 roster -- at least, not publicly -- or the possibility of trading the legendary quarterback. But general manager Ted Thompson reiterated Saturday afternoon that Aaron Rodgers is the team's starter, despite Favre's recent unretirement talk.

Calling the situation still "volatile" and admitting "it's been a tough few days," Thompson said in a half-hour interview the team has no intention of honoring Favre's written request for his outright release, and the club will wait and see what its next move will be if and when Favre formally applies for reinstatement with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

"Our stance is that Brett, just like any other retired player, has the option to ask the commissioner for reinstatement," said Thompson, who placed Favre on the reserve/retired list April 25, just over six weeks after Favre's emotional March 6 retirement news conference. "If he does that, he'll go on our active roster. Then we'll see how it goes after that. We don't know where that goes."

Asked if he would consider releasing Favre as Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, had requested, Thompson replied, "We have no plans to release him."

Attempts to reach Favre and Cook were unsuccessful. The Favre camp has been getting its message out through ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

Asked if the team is willing to trade Favre if it comes to that, Thompson said simply, "I don't know that we need to talk about hypotheticals. The man's still retired."

If that changes, and Favre does apply for reinstatement and has to go back on the Packers' 80-man roster, Thompson wouldn't say what role Favre would play. Thompson said the idea that Favre could only return as Rodgers' backup was "misinterpreted," but Thompson also stopped short of saying if Favre came back there would be an open competition in training camp for the starting job.

"If he goes back on our roster, whatever role he might perform for us is yet to be determined," Thompson said, before adding, "Aaron Rodgers is our starting quarterback."

Asked who gives the Packers a better chance to win in 2008, Rodgers or Favre, Thompson replied, "Right now, we'd say Aaron Rodgers, because Aaron Rodgers is on the active roster."

Such a scenario -- having Favre on the active roster, at a $12 million base salary, competing with or backing up Rodgers -- would seem to be an an untenable position for the Packers. Asked if the club could really do that, Thompson replied, "I think we could. I grant you that there'd be some awkward moments, but at the end of the day, football players are football players.

"There's so much uncertainty and what-ifs. One day something looks untenable and then the next day it looks like it might work. I don't think you can reach for absolutes here."

Asked if there'd be a risk of Favre coming to camp and creating not only a distraction but divisive situation where the locker room would be split between "Favre guys" (mostly veterans) and "Rodgers guys" (younger players), Thompson replied, "I think this is a pretty sound team. I understand where you're going with it, but I don't know that we could predict that would happen. We don't have the answers on any of these things right now. We have to think them through. I don't know if you can draw that conclusion just yet."

Thompson conducted interviews Saturday with the Associated Press and the state's three major newspapers -- the State Journal, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Green Bay Press-Gazette. This marked the first time Thompson or coach Mike McCarthy had publicly addressed Favre's desire to play again since his "itch" to return broke July 2.

Presumably, the Packers don't really want Favre back after all that's happened. Essentially, their message is they aren't going to free him to sign with any of the league's other 31 teams -- especially not NFC North division rivals Minnesota, Chicago or Detroit -- and he won't be given his starting job back if he returns to Green Bay.

The most likely scenario would have Favre petitioning the league for reinstatement and the Packers trading him to an AFC team, or at least an NFC team outside the division. Among the teams that fit that profile are the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins.

The Packers' best-case scenario, in which Favre would've simply stayed retired, almost certainly won't happen. The Packers went so far as to send an intermediary down to Mississippi last week to try to talk Favre into staying retired, but their attempt failed.

Favre would likely have high trade value, in part because of the draw he'd be for his new team's attendance and marketing endeavors, but whether the Packers could get a first-round pick for a player who'll turn 39 on Oct. 10 remains to be seen.

Asked to assess Favre as a player, Thompson replied, "We felt like at the conclusion of the season that he was still a very good player. He was a first-team all-pro player. We felt he had a good year and we feel like he, to quote Mike, a couple, three years left.' ''

That's what the Packers were thinking when, just three weeks after his tearful farewell, Favre contacted McCarthy and told him of his desire to come back.

As the State Journal and FoxSports.com reported Friday, Favre had his chance to come back in late March, and the team had agreed to embrace his return, only to have Favre change his mind yet again and stay retired. Thompson confirmed those events Saturday.

"Mike (McCarthy) and I talked about it, and we both agreed that it would still be a good idea (for Favre to play)," Thompson said. "Mike called Brett back and said, Great, we'd like to come and talk to you, sit and talk to you.' ''

Two days later, Favre called and told McCarthy that he and his wife, Deanna, had talked it over and decided he would stay retired.

Asked if at that point he made up his mind that the team was moving on, Thompson replied, "I don't know there was an exact date where we said we were going to move on. But we were faced with the realization we'd have to move forward without Brett as our quarterback.

"I've never been through anything quite like this. But again, the Packers are going to do the right thing. And again, Brett hasn't done anything wrong. If he's having a change of heart, then we'll work our way through it and try to do what 's best for the team."

TIMELINE

Jan. 20, 2008: The Packers lose in overtime to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field.

February: Quarterback Brett Favre's retirement speculation heats up.

March 6: Favre announces his retirement at a tearful news conference.  

Week of March 24: Offensive line coach James Campen visits Favre and confirms to Packers coach Mike McCarthy that Favre he's having second thoughts.

March 25: Favre informs McCarthy he wants to come back.

March 27: At the NFL owners meetings in West Palm Beach, Fla., general manager Ted Thompson and McCarthy decide to schedule a flight to Mississippi to meet with Favre and begin arrangements for his return.

March 29: Favre calls McCarthy to say he has changed his mind yet again. ''He said he appreciated all the planning we were going to do,'' McCarthy said. ''But he felt that at this point, he had reached a point of closure, to use his words, and he was going to stick with his initial decision.''

May 6: About 10 days after the draft, Thompson visits Favre at his home in Mississippi. ''We had good conversation, a nice lunch, sat out on the veranda. It was a good conversation,'' said Thompson, who added he didn't sense Favre had intensions to come back.

Late June: Favre calls McCarthy and the two have a conversation in which Favre tells him he might want to play again. At that point, McCarthy asks Favre if he was 100 percent committed to a return. ''He said, 'No, no, I'm not saying I'm there yet.' ''

July 4th weekend: Thompson, who is on vacation, exchanges text messages with Favre. 

July 8: During a conference call with Thompson, McCarthy and Packers VP of football administration/player finance Russ Ball, Favre and his agent, James ''Bus'' Cook discuss Favre's situation with the Packers. McCarthy asks Favre if he is 100 percent committed to football. For the first time in the offseason, Favre says yes.

July 11: Favre formally requests his release in writing, a request the Packers do not intend to honor.

July 12: For the first time, Thompson addresses the Favre saga with state reporters.

Information from the Packers, The Associated Press and State Journal was used in this report.