Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Originally scheduled for 90 minutes, a meeting between Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Brett Favre was approaching three hours Monday night when the team's media relations department pulled the plug on a news conference intended to answer all pertinent questions about Favre's return.
With no end to the meeting in sight, the Packers pushed back McCarthy's news conference to Tuesday.
This begs the question: Is there any end in sight to this long-running drama?
The only accurate answer is that no one knows. What is fairly clear, however, is that both McCarthy and Favre had some things to get off their respective chests. McCarthy has alluded several times to a communication breakdown in describing how this situation unraveled, while Favre has complained that the Packers have told him one thing and the public another.
| Brett Favre vs.
Aaron Rodgers | | |  |  | | NFL Career Statistics | | Comp pct. | 61.4 | 59.3 | | Pass yds. | 61,655 | 329 | | TD | 442 | 1 | | Int. | 288 | 1 | | 1st 59 Pass Attempts with Packers | | Comp pct. | 57.6 | 59.3 | | Pass yds. | 408 | 329 | | TD | 2 | 1 | | Int. | 1 | 1 | | Last 59 Pass Attempts with Packers | | Comp pct. | 57.6 | 59.3 | | Pass yds. | 370 | 329 | | TD | 3 | 1 | | Int. | 1 | 1 | -- Rodgers: 59 attempts in NFL career
-- Compiled by ESPN Research |
|
|
McCarthy and Favre have been good friends for a long time, dating back to McCarthy's first stint as a Packers assistant in 1999. There have been some hurt feelings, if nothing else, and it's pretty reasonable to suggest both sides are addressing those issues.
There are all kinds of rumors swirling around Lambeau Field. It's not fair to start throwing things against the wall, so we will just keep coming back to some of the themes we've developed over the past few days:
- Will the Packers actually go through with plans to let Favre back onto their practice field? And does Favre want to play for a team that so clearly wanted him to remain in retirement? Both sides have wondered if the other was bluffing. Monday night was the opportunity for both sides to lay their cards on the table. McCarthy must weigh the distraction of having Favre on the field versus the benefit of having him available to play. And Favre, no doubt, wants to gauge whether the Packers' public proclamations -- that they would welcome him back if he chose to return -- are genuine.
- Does Favre absolutely, positively want to play football this season? You would think so, based on the trouble he went to in order to get reinstated and report to Lambeau Field on Monday. But asked about that issue Sunday night, McCarthy said he didn't know. "That's a great question," McCarthy said. Before he lets Favre compete for the starting quarterback job, McCarthy would, no doubt, want to feel satisfied about his commitment.
- And while we're on that issue, Favre probably wants to know how "open" his competition with Aaron Rodgers would be. Straight up, it's hard to imagine Favre losing. But will it be a fair fight? Only McCarthy and the Packers could make that call.
Like the Packers, we're running out of things to say on this issue. Practice is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT on Tuesday. At some point -- you would assume Tuesday, but assumptions have rarely proved right during this stretch -- both sides are going to have to make up their minds. For good.
Seifert joined ESPN.com in 2008 after covering the Minnesota Vikings for the Minneapolis Star Tribune for eight years. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and daughter.
