“He’s prepared to deal with it,” James “Bus” Cook said Thursday. “He’s ready to go back, but he can’t go back until the commissioner reinstates him.”
That didn’t happen Thursday. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is giving the Packers and Favre at least one more day to resolve their standoff before granting the future Hall of Fame quarterback his reinstatement.
Meanwhile, a pair of potential solutions reportedly were emerging late Thursday night.
The Wisconsin State Journal and ESPN reported that Favre was considering a 10-year, $20 million marketing and licensing deal offer from the Packers - and staying retired. And the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported the Packers and Cook were in “serious” discussions with the New York Jets about a trade.
The State Journal report said the Packers’ deal, which was reported by multiple media outlets after team president and CEO Mark Murphy met with Favre and Cook in Mississippi on Wednesday, went on the table soon after Favre retired in March and wasn’t a last-ditch attempt to pay Favre to stay away from training camp.
“The Packers and Brett Favre are continuing their discussions,” the league said in a statement. “The commissioner preferred to let those discussions continue rather than act on the reinstatement petition today.”
Once Favre is reinstated, the Packers will have 24 hours to decide whether to cut him or restore him to their active roster. By not acting Thursday, Goodell decreased the chances Favre would be present at camp today.
Cook said Favre still wants to be released, something the Packers have ruled out.
“If he was given his release, there’s no guarantee he’d go anywhere to play,” Cook said. “However, he’d have the freedom to choose if he should decide to play.”
Favre also could be traded - maybe even to a division rival.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Thursday that Packers officials have had internal discussions about trading Favre to the Minnesota Vikings or Chicago Bears as a “last resort” to resolve the smoldering controversy.
“That’s news to me,” Vikings coach Brad Childress said Thursday. “Whatever you’re hearing, I’m not hearing.”
General manager Ted Thompson and other Packers officials did not immediately return telephone messages, but have said they and the team committed to moving forward after Favre retired in March.
As recently as Monday, there appeared to be no way the Packers would give Favre what they suspect he’s wanted all along - a one-way ticket to Minnesota. Thompson said earlier this week that he would not consider trading Favre to one of Green Bay’s NFC North rivals.
But with Favre poised for reinstatement and potentially ready to turn camp into a circus, team officials might be willing to do just about anything. There were multiple reports Wednesday night that the team had offered to pay Favre up to $20 million to stay retired.
Favre, who retired in March, filed a letter Tuesday requesting reinstatement from Goodell, who has waited to approve the request in the hope that Favre and the Packers could work out a resolution.
But that hasn’t happened yet, even after team president and CEO Mark Murphy traveled to Mississippi on Wednesday to meet with Favre and Cook. The Packers hold Favre’s rights until his current contract expires after the 2010 season.
It is believed Favre would be willing to play for the Vikings. In filing tampering charges with the NFL against the Vikings two weeks ago, Packers officials expressed a belief that Vikings coaches had inappropriate contact with Favre - and interest from the Vikings was the main reason behind Favre’s last-minute desire to return.
Favre isn’t believed to have much interest in playing for Chicago, but the most recent developments in the Favre saga got a reaction in Bears training camp.
“I really don’t know anything about (the reports),” Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner said. “I went back to the room after meetings, heard it, saw it, just kind of chuckled because I have no idea where it came from. I have no idea where those stories come from.”
Turner said he didn’t want to talk about Favre because the Bears feel good about quarterbacks Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton. But Turner said the smoldering controversy is hard to ignore.
