Brett Favre meets with coach; trade discussions intensify

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers and quarterback Brett Favre have reached the end of the road together, and there seemingly isn't much else to say except goodbye.

The way Packers coach Mike McCarthy characterized it in a long-awaited news conference Tuesday afternoon, Favre's differences with management and the hurt he felt weighed too much on his mind for him to become a Packer again.

As a result of the impasse, the Packers have stepped up trade discussions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets, two teams that had previously been given permission to speak with Favre and his agent. According to a source close to Favre, the three-time league most valuable player for the first time is willing to listen to what either team has to say and might cooperate with the Packers so a deal can be made.

The Tampa Tribune was among the media outlets reporting late Tuesday that a trade for Favre between the Packers and Tampa Bay was likely to be finalized as soon as today. Favre reportedly told the Bucs he would not stand in the way of a deal.

Tampa Bay has room beneath the salary cap to absorb Favre's $12 million salary. Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia, 38, is in the final year of his contract.

Favre, 38, announced his retirement in March but was added to Green Bay's active roster Monday.

During a 25-minute session with media, McCarthy repeatedly said his perception was that Favre was not in the proper mind-set to rejoin the Packers. In nearly six hours of meetings with Favre, McCarthy said the two never got past discussing events of the past couple of months.

"That was not my intent when I started the meeting," McCarthy said. "My whole intent was, 'Was he coming into the locker room to play for the Green Bay Packers, and where is your mind at?' That was the first question I asked him, and we could never get back to that point where he was comfortable."

After the meeting between Favre and McCarthy, four Packers executives — general manager Ted Thompson, team president Mark Murphy, negotiator Russ Ball and legal counsel Jason Weid — went to Favre's home intending to convince Favre, his wife, Deanna, and agent James "Bus" Cook to consider a trade to a team outside the NFC North.

Aaron Rodgers, 24, is likely to be Green Bay's starting quarterback.

Before the retirement was a month old, Favre began reconsidering his decision, setting off a series of events that turned a cozy relationship into a broken marriage.

All along, McCarthy doubted Favre's commitment to coming back, and said that is why he wanted to meet with Favre before allowing him back with the Packers. He said he never was convinced Favre had his heart set on playing another season.

"I thought his decision to play was emotional," McCarthy said. "He told me that was not the case, and I respect that. I told him over and over again, I would like to be wrong, but I never thought through this whole process that he was going to play this year.

"If I'm wrong, I'm wrong."

Asked if Favre felt animosity toward Packers management, McCarthy said, "Those are the words that were used when we concluded."

Favre told ESPN's Chris Mortensen he couldn't get over some of the things the Packers had done during their dispute with him.

"The problem is that there's been a lot of damage done and I can't forget it," Favre said. "Stuff has been said, stories planted, that just aren't true.

"Can I get over all that? I doubt it."