We reported last week that the Packers believe they have sufficient evidence to prove that the Vikings tampered with quarterback Brett Favre.  We also shared an unconfirmed rumor we’d heard that Favre had been using a team-issued cell phone, and that call logs obtained by the team showed multiple calls to/from Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and at least one to or from head coach Brad Childress.

The Bob McGinn item we mentioned earlier in the day puts some meat on that bone.  As quoted by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, McGinn writes for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that Favre was using a team-issued cell phone, and that the records show calls with Bevell and Childress.

As one league insider told us in the wake of last week’s rumor-based item to this effect, the fact that Favre was using a team-issued cell phone at any time during his career with the Packers would be a violation of the salary cap rules, unless the value of the phone was included within Favre’s total cap number.

It’s not an issue after Favre retired, since his salary is off the books and the Packers can pay him whatever they want.  But it’s definitely an issue if Favre was using the phone while an active member of the roster, and if the team didn’t account for the value of that perk in its cap calculations.

If the Packers get in trouble, it could be a small price to pay for the ability to gather hand-in-the-cookie-jar evidence of tampering.  Then again, if this is something that went on for years with Favre and other players, the Packers might wish in the end that they’d just let the whole thing go.