Dan Pompei

I'm not surprised Brett Favre wants to play football again now that the smell of training camp is in the air.

I am surprised the Packers are not welcoming him back.

Look, I understand they had tried to turn the page and were excited about Aaron Rodgers. I am an advocate of the prioritization of drafting and developing young players, and sticking with long-range blueprints. I can see the value of a coach selling a team on a concept in the offseason and doing everything possible to follow through with it. I know that teams derive benefits from having players bond in offseason activities.

But how in the world could the Packers not be interested in a player who:

A. Was the sixth best player at his position in the NFL a year ago, according to the NFL's passer rating system.

B. Plays a position that is the most important on the field.

C. Plays a position at which they lack a proven starter.

D. Is arguably the most beloved player in team history and one of the most beloved players in NFL history.

This isn't about what Favre has done in the past. It's about what he can do this season.

Let's review his most recent season, which is the best indicator of what he could do this year. He led the Packers to a 14-4 record and as usual never missed a game. He threw more passes of 25 yards or more than all but one quarterback. He finished fourth in passing yards and completion percentage. He threw 28 touchdown passes, sixth most in the NFL.

Even if Favre has been drinking beer and driving tractors all offseason, I would bet he still would be better than the majority of quarterbacks in the NFL.

There is no chance the Packers could be a better team without Favre than with him this year. And this is a team that has every reason to believe it can make it to the Super Bowl—with Favre.

There is no bigger mistake a team can make than to become intoxicated by its own decision-making abilities. Confidence is a wonderful thing, but talent like Favre's cannot be schemed or created.

In the NFL, flexibility is next to godliness. No team wins without being able to adjust and adapt well to the hundreds of twists and turns throughout an NFL season. If the Packers can't adjust to a change at quarterback in July, how could they possibly adjust to a season ending injury at cornerback in September?

If the Packers don't take Favre back, they'll make a mistake that could have a profound impact on many careers, on their team's history and on the 2008 NFL season.

Assuming the Packers cut Favre, there should be plenty of teams willing to take in the old stray. The best bets:

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