The annual rite of spring is here. I can’t shake a stick without being asked my thoughts on the plans of one Brett Favre. Of course, this happened even when Brett had not retired and went through his decision-making months after the end of the season from 2005-2007. And, of course, it happened last year prior to – and following – his retirement. I expected Brett to want to continue playing a year ago, as I did every year for the past several years. Now, not so sure.

I have not talked to Brett, but I’ve talked with Bus Cook, his agent with whom I negotiated Brett's 10-year, $101M contract in 2001, both of us hoping at that time that Brett would play three more years. Now nine years later, the clock ticks on whether he will stay retired a second time. Bus says he’s done, as does another person very close to Brett, as does Brett. But as we know, there’s speculation that it could be déjà vu all over again.

Brett's decision to un-retire last year was, in my mind, quite predictable. This year, it is less so, but not entirely outside the realm of possibility. The problem is that Brett's desired result last year -- to return to the Packers -- was not available to him (nor this year, of course), as the Packers made an organizational decision to move on with Aaron Rodgers. With that path blocked, Brett reluctantly accepted the assignment of his contract to the New York Jets, making the best of a situation that was not his preference.

For Brett to un-retire again, there would first have to be a suitor, and that suitor would have to put the team’s future on hold for at least a year, as the Jets did a year ago. Brett can now talk to any team in the league about a potential opportunity – without fear of tampering charges by the Jets – after being granted his release following the trumpeted arrival of Mark Sanchez. With Sanchez in tow, the Jets are now officially committed to moving away from any temporary quarterback solution; they have embraced the future. As a result, there was no need to have Brett on their reserve/retired list because he’s a player with a five-month career with that organization.

As noted above, there were certainly reasons for Brett and Bus to request his release. One is to have the ability to talk to other clubs as an unrestricted free agent. Another is to sign a ceremonial one-day contract with another team to retire as a member of that club. Possible in Green Bay? One day perhaps, but probably not any time soon.

I always got the feeling Brett would one day like to do what Roger Clemens did in Major League Baseball for a few years: pick a team and come back and play for them in the middle of the season and lead them on a run into the postseason.  Brett loved to play the game; he certainly did not love mini-camps or training camp.   

Clemens could do this. He could choose a team and walk on the mound and pitch, just rearing back and throwing the same way as he would wearing any team’s cap on his head. For Favre, of course, it would be much more problematic. Football is about schemes, about systems, about 11 players on offense in sync galvanized by thousands of repetitions in offseason workouts, mini-camps, training camp and practices. A player cannot show up in the middle of the season and walk in and start slinging. At least in theory he can’t, although Brett probably believes he still can.

Having said all that, for the first time, I don’t think Brett will play again … at this time.