In the long and tortured history of the post-Super Bowl III Jets, Brett Favre's name is high on the list of miserable moments.

The New York Jets were within minutes of taking the Southern Mississippi quarterback in the second round of the 1991 draft, only to be devastated when the Atlanta Falcons chose him with the 33rd overall pick.

The "what-ifs" have never really gone away. And now, 17 years later, Favre's name dangles so tantalizingly once again.

But this time, the perils of acquiring one of the NFL's legendary players outweigh the possibilities. As intriguing as it might be for the Jets to take a shot at trading for Favre, it is neither the right time nor the right place to make the move.

We are not talking about the promising, albeit undisciplined, quarterback coming out of college who once drew the interest of former Jets General Manager Dick Steinberg, who ultimately wound up with Browning Nagle as the booby prize one pick after Favre was taken off the board.

Nor are we talking about a player with the kind of mobility that once allowed Favre to buy so much time in and out of the pocket.

At 38, Favre certainly is a far better quarterback than either Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens, who are battling for the Jets' starting job.

But with the Packers looking for a draft pick as high as a first-rounder, with Favre less than three months from his 39th birthday and with continued questions regarding his indecision about playing again, do you ditch an entire offseason of preparation and cast your lot with a player who would have only a few weeks to get used to a completely new team, a completely new coaching staff and a completely new offensive system?

As great a player as Favre has been, it is no easy task to start over with a new team and a new offense. Especially at an age when even the greatest quarterbacks in history have called it quits. Joe Montana. John Elway. Dan Marino. Steve Young. Hall of Famers one and all. Each man retired at age 38.

Not only that, but do you pay the guy $12 million for the upcoming season, knowing that there is a distinct possibility that Favre will announce his retirement yet again? And who knows if he would even make it that far?

So even if the Jets were to pony up enough draft-choice compensation to swing a deal, they'd still have no guarantee of what they'd get with Favre. After all, if the guy hasn't completely made up his mind by now, who's to say the indecision won't continue indefinitely?

The Jets were cagey about the Favre situation yesterday, with Coach Eric Mangini and GM Mike Tannenbaum declining to comment on reports that they'd asked for permission to speak to Favre about a trade.

Pennington confided that Tannenbaum told him the team had received a call from the Packers about Favre, which conflicted with earlier reports that indicated it was the Jets who reached out first. And that does make a difference. If the Jets initiated the conversation, that's one thing. But if the Packers were the ones who reached out first, the dynamic changes, because they're the ones looking to unload him.

And even if the teams could agree on a trade, who knows if Favre would be interested in a team coming off a 4-12 season? If Favre were truly serious about making a run at a championship, would the Jets be the team best situated to do so?

Not likely. They've made a number of solid upgrades in the offseason, but this is not a team ready to make a Super Bowl run — with or without Favre. With a couple of breaks, maybe a wild-card playoff berth, which would qualify as a huge success compared with last year.

But do you rent Favre for one season just to go one- and-done in the postseason? And then face the likely prospect of starting all over again at quarterback in 2009, still not knowing if Clemens or Pennington can get it done? Or whether you might have to draft another quarterback with a high pick that you might not have if the Favre deal is made?

Seventeen years after missing out on their chance to get Favre, the Jets need to think long and hard about whether he's worth the risk this time. It says here he isn't.