We’ve covered, ad nauseum, the difficult position the Packers would be in if and when Brett Favre writes the letter saying he wants to return.

It feels a lot more like when than if, though.  From Bus Cook’s comments to Favre’s alleged text message to Ted Thompson to Favre’s refusal to say “I shall NOT return,” it seems like the Packers will need to have a plan in place to deal with Favre. Team CEO Mark Murphy and Chairman Emeritus Bob Harlan aren’t ready to do that, however.  Even though neither man has spoken with Favre, they remain convinced (or have convinced themselves) that he’s staying retired.

Harlan:  ”What I remember about him is he was ready to retire, and that’s how I feel today.  I think down deep, that’s exactly how he feels.”

Murphy:  “No player leaves the game gracefully.  It’s kind of the nature of what makes great players great, is they’re competitors and they always want to compete and they want that next challenge, and it’s hard to find that next thing that’s going to give you that excitement and adrenaline.  That’s what we’re seeing a little bit here.”

It seems clear that the Packers would like Favre to remain retired and the two executives seem to be wishcasting about what Favre himself wants.  Murphy did offer a small insight into how the team would respond to his return. 

“I think it’s pretty reasonable that, as an organization, we’re going to move on.”