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Release him.
Release him right now.
That's what would be best for all involved.
And while the Packers are at it, they should postpone, indefinitely, that celebration to retire Favre's jersey during the NFL season opener against Minnesota at Lambeau Field.
There is nothing to celebrate right now.
An iconic legacy has been tarnished, a proud organization has been unfairly abused and thousands of fans are suddenly ambivalent about a man they've adored and supported for years.
Sorry to say, Favre has no one else to blame but himself.
It seems clear that Favre and those closest to him have spent the last five months orchestrating a soap opera of lies against the organization, the kind that hurt and are not easily forgiven.
If you are a Green Bay fan and feel betrayed, chances are you have a lot of company right now.
After 16 decorated seasons as Packers quarterback, Favre retired in tears on March 6, saying he could still play but had nothing left to give.
Less than a month later, Favre reportedly informed Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy that he wanted to come back.
They said OK.
They began preparing for Favre to return, going to the point of arranging a charter flight to his home in Hattiesburg, Miss., to work out all the details.
Two days before the meeting, Favre called McCarthy and said he'd changed his mind and that he would remain retired.
The Packers said OK again - no doubt through some gritted teeth - and dutifully went about preparing for life without Favre: choosing quarterbacks Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn in the draft and giving incumbent Aaron Rodgers the keys to the offense during OTAs this spring.
No wonder Thompson and McCarthy seemed so put off by the latest claim from Favre that he wanted to come back.
While on vacation, they had to listen while national reporters and Packers fans trashed them for mishandling the whole affair and mistreating Favre.
In truth, Thompson and McCarthy not only did their due diligence, they maintained the high road in the media while the Favre camp weaved elsewhere.
Remember that Los Angeles Times report in April - confirmed by the State Journal - that said Favre's agent, James ''Bus'' Cook was quietly gauging the interest of other NFL teams if his client returned? Cook denied it.
Remember the ESPN report earlier this month that Favre had an itch to make a comeback? Favre texted a local reporter saying, ''It's all a rumor.''
Yeah, sure.
Look, Favre has every right to change is mind. He has every right to want to play again. He has every right to want to scratch that competitive itch.
But not in Green Bay. That window has closed and, based on this latest development, Favre got some of his fingers smashed in the process.
On second thought, the Packers shouldn't release Favre. They should call the shots and orchestrate the best possible trade for his rights.
If that happens, the pain won't be as bad as we thought.
