The veteran quarterback's agent, Bus Cook, told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that petitioning the league for Favre to be reinstated from the reserve-retired list isn't imminent.

"We're going to let Green Bay decide what they want to do. It's their move," Cook said.

The Favre camp put the proverbial football back in the Packers' hands after general manager Ted Thompson rejected his request to be released and then suggested that Favre would be welcomed back to the team but only as a backup to anointed starter Aaron Rodgers.

"Right now we have until the sixth week (of the regular season to apply for reinstatement) and Brett has made it pretty clear that he is not willing to come in as a backup," Cook said.

Favre's return to the Packers for a 17th season seems to be remote at best, given the plethora of post-Fourth of July fireworks emanating between the two sides.

The friction came to a head when Favre spoke publicly for the first time since it was revealed earlier in the month that he had a desire to play again after he retired in March.

Favre had a lengthy interview July 14 with Greta Van Susteren of Fox News Channel, which aired different segments of the conversation in Mississippi three straight nights.

Favre admitted that he was "guilty" of retiring early because he wasn't 100 percent committed to continue playing shortly after last season ended. Yet, he was blunt in his criticisms of the Packers, particularly Thompson, for how they treated him and demanded a decision on his playing future sooner rather than later. Favre made mention of "half truths" spoken by Packers officials and revealed a lack of trust he has in Thompson for his role in not landing free-agent receiver Randy Moss in the 2007 offseason, among other decisions he made that countered suggestions made by Favre for the benefit of the team.

The Packers were open to having Favre back after he had second thoughts about retiring shortly after his tearful press conference in Green Bay, but Favre decided to stay retired and the organization moved on without him.

After preparing Rodgers the entire offseason for the starting job, the Packers stayed firm with their plans of moving forward even when Favre contacted head coach Mike McCarthy on June 20 and expressed that he was thinking about making a comeback.

Less than a month later, the league's oldest franchise and its most celebrated player were at loggerheads. The Packers wouldn't budge on their commitment to Rodgers as the starter, and Favre wasn't accepting of a backup role after starting a league-record 275 straight games.

"Why?" Favre said sternly to Van Susteren in the interview.

"They've been preaching about, 'We want to protect Brett's legacy,'" he added in some of his most scathing comments toward team management. "How does that protect my legacy if I'm a backup? 'Brett, we'll welcome you back, we'll pay you $12 million (his salary this year), but you have to hold a clipboard and (wear a) ball cap.' That's probably better for them as opposed to letting me go somewhere and me coming back (and beating the Packers), then their legacy, the management, could be in jeopardy. Let me worry about that. You don't worry about my legacy. It's a bunch of bull; it's all it is."

Adding fuel to the firestorm was Favre's detailing in the interview the involvement of Packers offensive line coach James Campen, a former teammate of Favre and a close friend, as a go-between. Favre said Campen had to skip a family vacation in Hawaii a few weeks earlier to make an unannounced visit on the team's behalf to Favre's home near Hattiesburg, Miss.

"He says, 'You know, I know they told you they're moving on and playing there is not an option. Playing here in Green Bay is not an option, which that's what they want. They want to move on. But I'm telling you, if you reinstate or you force their hand, back them in a corner, they feel like they have no other option, they're going to accept you back.' And he said, 'Just telling you.' And I said, 'OK.'"

McCarthy told The Associated Press on July 12 that the club wanted Campen to visit Favre as a friend, not on behalf of the team. McCarthy accused Favre and his representatives for turning Campen into an "intermediary" and putting the assistant coach "in a tough spot."

With a release out of the question, Favre's only hope to get out of Green Bay -- if that's what he truly desires if he intends to play this season -- is to be traded. Nothing can transpire, however, until Favre is cleared from the reserve-retired list.

Favre indicated in the interview with Van Susteren that he's not apt to report for the start of Packers training camp July 27 to force the team's hand.

"It's tempting because everyone's saying call their bluff or whatever," Favre said. "I think (camp) is going to be a circus in itself already, whether I go there or whatever.

"I don't want to make it any worse than it is. I've always been a Packer, always will be a Packer. Will I play somewhere else? Remains to be seen. But I don't want to go back there just to stick it to 'em."

CAMP CALENDAR: Players report July 27. Camp opens July 28 with the first of five scheduled two-a-days -- all in the first 12 days. An intrasquad scrimmage will be held at Lambeau Field on Sunday night, Aug. 3.

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