By Dan Arkush
July 27, 2008

Packers players are scheduled to report to training camp Sunday, but Brett Favre won't be among those reporting, after he agreed to sit tight at GM Ted Thompson's request.

"I had planned on reporting for the start of Packers training camp Sunday, but Ted Thompson asked if I would give him a couple of days to try to get the situation resolved," Favre told SI.com Saturday. "… I don't want to be a distraction to the Packers, and I hope in the next few days we can come to an agreement that would allow me to continue playing football."

Meanwhile, back in Green Bay, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters at a 30-minute pre-training-camp news conference that Aaron Rodgers is unequivocally the team's starting quarterback moving forward.

"The point is, Brett retired," McCarthy said. "Did he think about coming back? Yes. But thinking and committing are two different scenarios."

The PFW spin

It might seem relatively quiet at the moment on the Brett Favre front, with Favre now not expected to make his presence felt in Green Bay until the middle of the week, at the earliest. But, behind the scenes, it's a good bet the wheels will continue to turn a million miles per minute as Thompson and the Packers scramble to find a mutually acceptable new home via trade for their conflicted longtime QB.

The two teams that have been mentioned as Favre's most likely suitors (the Buccaneers and the Jets) are playing it close to the vest with any comments on the subject, but there's strong reason to believe that trade talks with Thompson are in motion at this writing in varying degrees. It still appears that the Bucs are a much more likely trade partner than the Jets, but it also still appears that as many as 5-10 other teams could also be actively involved in pursuing Favre, with Thompson seemingly intent on working a deal and avoiding a training-camp circus that even P.T. Barnum would find overwhelming.

The price another team would have to pay for Favre has become a key factor in the continuing "Favregate" saga. Rumors continue to flow that a first-round pick would have to be part of the ante for Favre, but it's highly unlikely a team will pay that high a price for a 38-year-old QB who would figure to provide a short-term fix at best.

However, a second-round pick and a warm body, particularly one that plays defensive tackle, could be a different story altogether. Stay tuned, as the possibility still exists that a bombshell trade could be consummated before Sunday turns into Monday.