There’s talk among Packers players that quarterback Brett Favre will indeed request reinstatement from the team, despite suggestions that Favre doesn’t want to “stick it to” the Packers by showing up at training camp.

The problem, however, is that if Favre isn’t inclined to take the next step in this process, the Packers will never have to face the reality of a three-ring circus in which the Hall of Famer will be No. 2 on the depth chart, and will be due a salary of $12 million that becomes fully guaranteed if he’s on the opening-day roster in September.

Though agent Bus Cook might be trying to get the team to trade Favre based on the threat of Favre seeking reinstatement, the Packers might decide to see if Favre will actually follow through with it.   If Favre isn’t willing, for whatever reason, to return to the team, there’s no way to put the ball back into the Packers’ court.

One very good reason for the Packers to move Favre if he shows up is that the locker room undoubtedly will be fractured in their support for Favre or Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.  Obviously, the fans already are, and it will only get worse if Favre is on the bench and Rodgers is throwing balls into the dirt (which probably is better than throwing balls to the other team on the first drive of overtime in a conference title game).

Meanwhile, though it appears that these two sides can’t ever get together again, the fact that Chad Johnson had a stunning change of heart in Cincinnati suggests that Favre could indeed wake up one day and decide to let bygones by bygones.

It would hardly be the first time Favre changed his mind about such matters.