There is something very unsettling about the image of Brett Favre wearing a uniform that doesn't belong to the Green Bay Packers.

There's also something unsettling about the soap opera that's playing out between Favre and the Packers.

He says he wants to come back. They want to move on and go with Aaron Rodgers, whom they drafted in 2005 and have groomed as their next starting quarterback.

Favre wants the Packers to give him his release so he can sign with another team. Packers general manager Ted Thompson said on Saturday if Favre wants to come back, it will have to be with the Packers and not as the starting quarterback.

It seems like a long time ago when Favre held that tearful news conference in March, announcing his retirement mainly because he no longer enjoyed the mental preparation it took to be a top-flight quarterback.

His last season was one of his best. Other than winning a Super Bowl, he was going out on top and with all of the meaningful passing records in his back pocket.

Shortly after his retirement, the whispers began. Maybe he made a mistake.

Meanwhile, the Packers moved on. They were patient in past years when Favre took longer than he promised in making a decision about his future. But this time when he finally decided to quit, they apparently took him at his word.

That meant giving the ball to Rodgers. Let's face it. Had Rodgers stunk it up during minicamps, do you think Thompson or coach Mike McCarthy would hesitate in welcoming back Favre?

And if they truly have moved past the Favre era, do you think they really want him coming back as the guy to carry the clipboard? Rodgers will be under enough pressure as it is. He doesn't need to feel the glare of a future Hall of Famer as he's taking most of the reps during practice. Either Favre comes to camp and eventually becomes the starter, the Packers trade or release him, or he decides to stay retired. He is not going to be a backup when games begin.

Former Packers manager Ron Wolf will forever be remembered as the genius who gave up a first-round pick in 1992 for Favre, who was a third-string quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons the year before. The legacy of McCarthy and Thompson could be as the people who didn't allow Favre to come back. Or, if Rodgers becomes a star, they'll be remembered as the guys who stood firm and made a tough, emotional decision that wound up being the right one for the organization.

In a perfect world, Favre stays retired. He is among those athletes who should be associated with one team. When you think of Ted Williams, it's in a Red Sox uniform. The same with Bill Russell and the Celtics or John Elway and the Broncos.

There's something special about that, and there's something terribly wrong picturing Favre in Carolina blue, Minnesota purple or in any helmet that doesn't have a G on the side.