I'm as sick as anyone of the obsequious ass-kissing that Favre's received over the past 10 years by all manner of media, but in this case, what's Packers' GM Ted Thompson thinking?

You can understand why the Packers would want to move on, having relied on Favre's word that he was retiring and spending the spring getting Aaron Rodgers first-team work and drafting Brian Brohm. But having moved on, and hearing, understandably that Favre has changed his mind and wants to play, why not just release him and let him do it?

Who is Ted Thompson to prevent Brett Favre from playing another NFL season? The three-time MVP averaged 7.8 yards per attempt last year and lost in overtime in the NFC title game. If he wants to play, he deserves a shot to land a job somewhere.

Now one could argue that Thompson doesn't want to improve the competition, and perhaps he's particularly worried that Favre would push the Vikings over the top, but so what? If Favre's really that great, then maybe the Packers should consider letting him start another year. If they think Rodgers is the better option for a playoff-caliber team, then what's there to worry about? No one's shaking in their boots about facing Rodgers. So if he's a better option than Favre in Thompson's mind, let the Vikings stall Tarvaris Jackson's development if they're interested. Or let some other team have him.

But it's ridiculous for Thompson to try to prevent a legend from playing for several teams that would no doubt love to have him.

At the very least, they should be trying to trade Favre, and let it be known they'll take whatever the highest bid is. If it's a fourth-rounder, so be it.