Photo by Mike Roemer
AP

Brett Favre speaks during a news conference after Green Bay's 2008 playoff loss to the New York Giants. Favre is considering coming out of retirement, according to an ESPN report.

The report last week that Brett Favre "has an itch to play again" and return to the NFL certainly made for interesting conversation on talk radio and other sports programming.

The recently retired Favre has been the most popular player the past few years in the NFL and if the league's all-time leader in touchdown passes does indeed decide to duck his head back in the huddle next season, it would be great to see. Favre simply connects with the fans like no other player has in some time.

When Favre elected to walk away on March 6, you could sense there was part of him that didn't want to do it. "I know I can play, but I don't think I want to," Favre said at the time.

Maybe now he does. Or at least he will in a few more weeks.

Here's a few things we know about the NFL. Quarterbacks are the most important players on football teams. They also get hurt. Quite frequently, too.

That means the chances are good a team will be looking for a quarterback in midseason when its starter goes down. If one of those teams happens to be a Super Bowl contender, who better to bring in than a sure Hall of Famer like Favre?

In Green Bay, Wis., the Favre comeback story likely drew mixed reaction. It puts the Packers in a difficult position, no doubt. They thought they put this issue behind them in the winter and could begin grooming Favre's replacement. But the thought of Favre playing in a uniform other than green and gold has to be a little unsettling to a lot of Packers fans.

When Favre conducted his tearful news conference announcing he was retiring on March 6, he was totally genuine. But it is now four months later. Football season is around the corner. Perspectives change.

Even though Favre has won a Super Bowl and MVP awards, he left knowing the last pass he threw (in last January's NFC Championship Game against the Giants) was an interception that led to an overtime playoff loss. After reflection, Favre may have decided that's not the way he wanted to go out.

If Favre comes back, that would mean he believes he has more to give to the game. And let's be honest: He's also better than at least half the quarterbacks in the league.

— Keith Kropp is a copy editor for The Star. E-mail address: kkropp@VenturaCountyStar.com.