Packers GM, coach: No release, but Favre can return as backup

Even then, McCarthy said when he asked Favre if he was ready to make a 100 percent commitment to football -- an issue Favre had brought up in his retirement news conference -- the answer still was no.

"That always seemed to be the one thing that he had to come to grips with," McCarthy said.

Next came a now-infamous text message exchange between Thompson and Favre on July 4. At the time, Thompson didn't think it was a big deal that he wrote Favre back saying he was traveling and asked if they could talk Monday.

But then Thompson began getting texts from Cook. Sensing rising tension, Thompson and McCarthy agreed to a conference call with Favre and Cook on Tuesday.

Only then, McCarthy said, did Favre say he was 100 percent committed to playing. McCarthy said he doesn't question Favre's commitment to football, but said Favre often brought up the issue himself.

"The way he plays the game illustrates the guy is committed," McCarthy said. "(But) those are his words. That was always his final hurdle that he said he had to get over."

The hurdle was apparently cleared weeks before the start of training camp.

"Was it convincing? I'd say yes," McCarthy said. "But that was the first time, July 8, that I'd ever heard him say (he was committed). And he continually, from (June) 21 to July 8, told James Campen that he was not going to play. So that's a pretty important piece of the puzzle."

Cook then sent the Packers a letter officially asking for Favre to be released, which would allow him to sign with any NFL team.

With Favre unlikely to accept a backup role with the Packers, and the Packers not wanting to release Favre so he could sign with a division rival, a trade might be the best resolution. Thompson and McCarthy declined to discuss that possibility, and Thompson said he had not received any inquiries from other teams as of Saturday morning.

"Quite frankly, it's a little gut-wrenching as an organization to go through it, and certainly for Mike and myself," Thompson said. "This stuff hurts a lot of people. I mean, it hurts. I'm not talking about physically hurting, but the sensitivity. We understand where the fans are coming from. This is a hot-button issue that surpasses anything I've ever gone through."