In the wake of quarterback Brett Favre’s request for a release from the Green Bay Packers, Peter King of SI.com opines that the Packers aren’t likely to comply because Favre is angling to play for the Minnesota Vikings.

King points out that the offensive coordinator in Minnesota is Darrell Bevell, who served for three years as Favre’s quarterbacks coach in Green Bay, from 2003 to 2005.

Thus, King believes that, but for a gentleman’s agreement pursuant to which Favre agrees not to play for the Vikings or any other team in the NFC North, the Packers won’t let him go. 

As we recently pointed out, league rules prohibit the Packers from imposing any restrictions on a release.  So it would take a gentleman’s agreement to keep Favre out of purple – and as such it would be unenforceable if Favre opts to renege.

But with the Packers claiming that they intend to “do what’s right and in the best interest of the team,” our question is whether the Packers can really do both.  It’s in the teams best interests (and in the best interests of G.M. Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy) for Favre to play for no one, if he’s not playing for the Packers.  But does blocking him from playing for another team constitute doing “what’s right”?

It’s a topic on which reasonable minds can differ.  On one hand, it could be argued that Favre has earned a chance to leave, if the team doesn’t want to make him the starter.  On the other hand, it could be argued that Favre created this mess with his wishy-washiness (as depicted in the latest Taco Bill offering) is under contract with the Packers for two more years, and if he’s going to play for anyone, it’s going to be the Packers.

In our view, the Packers lose the upper hand by making the ridiculous suggestion that they’d pay Favre $12 million to be the backup to Aaron Rodgers.  We believe that it’s a ploy to force Favre to stay on his farm, thinking that he’s not likely to come back to Green Bay if he’s not the starter — and if he’d be a distraction on the bench.

If we were advising Favre, we’d tell him to call the bluff and show up for camp.  The worst-case scenario is that he’d make $12 million while suffering no wear and tear on his soon-to-be 39-year-old body. 

But we doubt it would come to that.  Eventually, the the Packers’ penny-pinching G.M. wouldn’t be able to justify keeping him around at that kind of a salary, and public pressure would mount to either make Favre the starter or let him try to win the job elsewhere.

The only guarantee is that this one is bound to get uglier before it gets any prettier.  Favre might have a heart of gold, but he’s got a head of diamond, and if he has decided that he wants to play he’ll do whatever he has to do to make it happen, and Thompson risks looking like a villain for disrespecting the most beloved player in the history of the franchise.