GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Although Brett Favre says he's "99.9
percent" sure he'll retire as a Green Bay Packer, he can't rule
out the possibility he might finish his career with another team.
But before Cheesehead Nation begins trembling at the thought of
seeing Favre in some shade of teal -- or, worse yet, wearing Vikings
horns -- note that the 36-year-old said he'd only consider playing
elsewhere if the Packers decided they wanted to rebuild without
him.
In a taped interview scheduled to air on the HBO show "Costas
Now" on Wednesday night, Favre was asked if he might be tempted to
play for a team that appeared to be only a quarterback away from
Super Bowl contention.
"I can't say it wouldn't happen," Favre said, according to an
advance transcript. "If it comes to a point where they do start
over, and I feel like I can play and they say, 'Brett, if you want
to go somewhere else, go ahead, but we've got to start over, it's
time for us to rebuild. It just doesn't make sense, so do what you
want.' If I got the itch at some point, I can't say no."
Asked on Wednesday about that comment, which could be
interpreted as a position shift for Favre, who previously
maintained he'd rather retire than play for another team, Favre
said he wasn't trying to send a message to fans that they should
start preparing for his departure.
"I said, 'I've always said I'll play in Green Bay, love to play
in Green Bay, loyal, this is home to me.' And I still believe
that," Favre said.
But if the Packers didn't want him back and he was just sitting
at home next offseason?
"Would I consider playing for someone else? I guess I would,"
Favre said. "Do I think that'll happen? I'm 99.9 percent sure that
that won't happen. So, that's it."
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he has no indication that Favre
would like to play anywhere else.
"Would I consider playing for someone else? I guess I would. Do I think that'll happen? I'm 99.9 percent sure that
that won't happen. So, that's it."
-- Brett Favre
"If I was a betting man, I'd bet he retires a Green Bay
Packer," McCarthy said.
Of course, Midwestern sports fans might be wary of such
guarantees from big-time athletes. Michael Jordan said he was 99.9
percent sure he wouldn't play again after his second retirement
from the Chicago Bulls in 1999, then played for the Washington
Wizards in 2001-03.
And Favre has paid attention to a situation involving another
veteran quarterback, Steve McNair, who found a new starting job
with a potential contender in Baltimore after the Tennessee Titans
let him go. Favre and McNair share an agent, James "Bus" Cook.
"They're saying that he's the piece that they've been
missing," Favre said. "Time will tell, but I think that he is
very happy with that situation."
But Favre said he doesn't consider his situation in Green Bay,
where the Packers are trying to improve on last year's 4-12 record
with a youth-oriented roster, comparable to what happened with
McNair in Tennessee -- where the Titans at one point barred him from
entering their practice facility.
"I haven't been kicked out of this building yet, so there's a
little different situation there," Favre said.
Although Favre admits he has concerns about how the Packers' two
rookie starting guards will hold up against the Chicago Bears'
ultra-quick defensive front in the opener at Lambeau Field on
Sunday, he's generally excited about starting the season.
"I'm not going to sit here and say I don't mind getting hit
every week, play after play," Favre said. "I'm not going to say
that. But I have to admit I'm very optimistic about this season
until something else happens, until a point where I say, 'There's
no need to be optimistic anymore.' But I like the way we do
things."
And he says he's happy he decided to return to the Packers.
"I have no idea what's going to happen this season, but so far
I've been energetic in camp and happy to be here," Favre said. "I
think the rest of the guys are that way. Do I think we'll struggle
at times? Absolutely. But my first year here, not knowing any
different, as I look back we went 9-7 and got on a six-game win
streak and we weren't very good. We were well-coached, but we were
not very good, and we somehow found a way to get it done.
"Do I think this team can do it? Absolutely."