Reinstatement on hold; Pack offering Favre $20M to stay retired?
MILWAUKEE -- Brett Favre's agent says the three-time MVP understands he would be walking into a media frenzy by showing up for the Green Bay Packers' training camp, but he's willing to deal with that rather than have retirement forced on him.
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"He's prepared to deal with it," James "Bus" Cook told the Associated Press on 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 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.
General manager Ted Thompson and other Packers officials did not immediately return telephone messages left by the Associated Press. The Packers did not have a public practice or media availability Thursday.
"The Packers and Brett Favre are continuing their discussions," league officials 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 Packers training camp Friday.
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 -- apparently 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.
