Favre keeping future plans close to vest

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Camera flashes flickered throughout Lambeau Field every time Brett Favre dropped back, just in case each individual pass turned out to be his last.

Many of the 69,928 fans at Lambeau Field showered him with chants that ranged from the hopeful of one last run – “One more year!” – to the politically-charged optimists – “Four more years!”

And then, as if he had just played his final collegiate basketball game on Senior Night, the Green Bay Packers’ 36-year-old quarterback was taken out of the game in the closing seconds so that the faithful could give him a standing ovation … just in case.

Nobody truly knows, and Favre himself is giving no indication, but the sights and sounds of Sunday’s game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks showed that many people believe it marked the end of a legendary career.

“Obviously, the fans came to see him, hoping that it’s not his last game, but knowing that it could be,” said rookie Aaron Rodgers, who replaced Favre with 41 seconds remaining and the Packers’ 23-17 victory in hand. “Although you might not believe me, I hope he comes back.”

There were dozens of signs sporting the same type of message Sunday, but Favre continues to leave his future in question. He skipped his weekly post-game press conference Sunday – undoubtedly due to the predictable retirement questions that he’s deftly avoided for most of the season – and didn’t provide many answers when a member of the Packers’ public relations department caught up with him outside the stadium later in the afternoon.

“I’m going to take some time and get away from the season for a bit, and then talk to people here in Green Bay, and then we’ll see,” Favre said in a statement released by the team.

Packers general manager Ted Thompson, a former Seahawks executive, was quoted late last week as saying that the team would welcome Favre back. But the quarterback himself is keeping his options open.

If Sunday was his last game, it wasn’t a bad way to go out. Favre wrapped up the worst season of his NFL career by leading the Packers to a rare victory while passing for 259 yards and a touchdown.

“It was great to finish the season with a win,” he said in the same team statement. “It’s been a tough year, obviously, but to finish out with a win helped boost the mood a little bit.”