GREEN BAY, Wis. — No matter that Brett Favre is the NFL's iron man and record holder, no matter that there are petitions and fan drives to bring him back and the airplane with the banner in tow circling Lambeau Field on Sunday night that urged the Green Bay Packers to Bring Back Brett.

No matter that it would be tough enough just to follow Favre, much less beat Favre.

Aaron Rodgers will not back down. He will welcome him back, but he will not back down.

After the Packers' Family Night scrimmage last night, Rodgers expertly toed the line between welcoming Favre back as a teammate and not at all surrendering his status, which, at Favre's retirement announcement in early March, has been as the starting quarterback of the future.

"Hopefully I'll be the guy this year," Rodgers said. "I don't know if I am going to get a chance to lead this football team (but) you're going to have to pry it out of my fingers this year."

Rodgers admitted that the first week had been a challenge at training camp with the Favre situation looming over him, but he did not wince at the thought of fighting Favre tooth and nail for the right to be the Packers' starting quarterback in 2008.

"I'm a competitor; I'm going to compete," Rodgers said. "You know, this isn't going to be easy. It's going to be a dogfight and I know if they do open it up to competition, not a lot of people will give me a chance, but I believe in myself and I'm going to be the best I can be and let Coach decide from there."

Rodgers looked neither stunned nor upset at the news of Favre's return Sunday. TV cameras trailed Favre once he landed at the airport while, just minutes and miles away, Rodgers and the Packers were introduced at Lambeau Field. Rodgers was greeted with a rousing cheer but also enough boos to make the opposition's stance heard.

"I mean, they're booing all of us, probably me mostly, so yeah, I take it personally," Rodgers said. "But it's not the first time I've been booed and it won't be the last time."

Rodgers said numerous times that he didn't feel betrayed by the Packers, who pronounced him the starter at Favre's retirement and have essentially changed that stance 33 days after Favre first announced that he had the itch to play again.

"Not at all," Rodgers said. "I think the organization has been put in a tough spot and it's a difficult situation. But we're going to welcome him back and move forward as a team."

Rodgers said he hadn't been told much before the scrimmage Sunday night other than that Favre was back and they were all going to adjust to his return. He said he wasn't affected by the news on the field.

"Not at all. I was just playing football out there tonight," said Rodgers, who completed just seven of 20 passes for 84 yards with an interception. "We didn't throw it and catch it as well as I would have liked to, but it's a growing process. We want to peak at the right time when we play Minnesota."

Rodgers said he didn't know yet how practice time would be divided between him and Favre and was content to let coach Mike McCarthy determine the best course of action in the upcoming week.

"I'm going to give it my best shot and right now they're saying I'm the starter," Rodgers said. "If they're going to open it up to competition then I get a chance to compete and I'm going to do the best I can and let Coach make the decision. . . . If I don't win the competition I'll support Brett and we'll move forward together."

Packers receiver Donald Driver exchanged messages with Favre over the weekend but Rodgers said it had been "awhile" since he and Favre last spoke. But he didn't expect their next encounter to be awkward.

"I don't think it's ever been about me and him, it's been about him and the organization," Rodgers said. "We haven't had a problem; in the three years we got along great. And I'm sure we'll just pick up where we left off."