A day after “retired” Packers quarterback Brett Favre dropped his strongest hint yet that when football season rolls around he might no longer wish to be “retired,” the team has possibly sent him a message by placing him on the reserve/retired list.

But it doesn’t mean that Favre has filed his retirement papers.  He still hasn’t. 

“The NFL does not require a letter for a player to be placed in a reserve/retired status,” G.M. Ted Thompson said.  “Brett has announced his retirement publicly and this is simply a personnel transaction made to develop a roster opportunity for the Packers.”

It’s likely that the Packers are merely clearing out roster space in advance of the incoming surge of street free agents, who’ll be signed to contract after the draft.

Still, the move is sure to prompt speculation as to whether the team is trying to let Favre know that it’s not interested in having its preparations for the 2008 season be undermined by the question of whether, at some point, Brett will be back.

Some league observers think that the Packers don’t want him to return, and that under no circumstances would they ever trade him to another team.