NFL: Where Will Brett Favre Go Next?

With Brett Favre requesting his release, it's starting to get interesting in Green Bay. It appears like he wants to come back and play, but Green Bay is turning a blind eye to him.

Favre wants to have the choice to play wherever he wants, while the Packers have predictably stated that if he does apply for reinstatement, he will be Packers property.

I would imagine that Green Bay would try to move him for a draft pick somewhere, but what exactly is the market for a one-year quarterback rental?

There's also the aspect of how Favre would react. If Green Bay tries to keep him or trade him somewhere he doesn't want to go, he can simply stay retired. In that sense, he has control of where he plays regardless.

I can't imagine the Packers outright releasing him and potentially losing him to a rival for nothing. They do have the cap room (about $35M) to control his destiny.

But which teams would have interest in Favre?

In the AFC, there are five teams that could want a quarterback: Buffalo, Kansas City, Miami, Baltimore, and New York. It's hard to imagine Favre wanting to play in Kansas City or Miami, two rebuilding teams, so that leaves Buffalo and New York.

Buffalo has some positives for getting Favre. It is a small city in a cold-weather town, probably the most like Green Bay in that sense. But the Bills liked what they saw from Trent Edwards last season, and it's likely they will want to stick with him at quarterback.

Baltimore is definitely an option. With an unimpressive Kyle Boller and an unproven Joe Flacco, Favre would certainly get the chance to start. The defense is aging, but it's still full of playmakers, while Willis McGahee, Mark Clayton, Todd Heap, and Derrick Mason can be effective weapons.

The Jets also make a ton of sense. New York has declared an open competition at quarterback between veteran Chad Pennington and third-year signal-caller Kellen Clemens.

By not handing Clemens the job, they are showing that they are not quite ready to commit to him at quarterback. The offensive line was so atrocious last season that the Jets can't possibly make a full assessment on him, but it's clear that among AFC teams, the Jets and Ravens are the two best options.

Moving to the NFC, Minnesota, Carolina, Washington, Chicago, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, San Francisco, and maybe Detroit and Arizona could use quarterbacks. However, if Green Bay holds onto Favre, rule out Minnesota, Detroit, and Chicago.

Arizona's a possibility, but are they going to spend the money? And are they willing to give up on former top pick Matt Leinart? They’ve clearly lost a lot of faith in him, but he deserves another chance.

Carolina is listed as a possibility by some, but reports indicate they are happy with Jake Delhomme as their starter. After all, he's been a good quarterback for them for years; he was just hurt last year. John Fox could try to gamble with Favre, but he'll likely stick with Delhomme.

San Francisco might be interested if they're willing to give up on Alex Smith, but either way, will Favre want to play for that team? He likely would not want to play for a still rebuilding 49ers team. They have talent, but it's hard to see them being a legitimate contender, even adding a hall of fame quarterback, but they are improving.

Atlanta just drafted Matt Ryan, and if they don't want to start him right away, Favre returning back to where it all started would be very interesting, but there's no way Favre would want to play in this situation.

Tampa Bay is always a destination for quarterbacks, but with Jeff Garcia, Luke McCown, Brian Griese, Josh Johnson, and Chris Simms all on the roster, will they really bring in another? Simms is likely gone, and Favre would be an upgrade. If they can move Garcia, they could definitely make a run at him.

Washington has its quarterback of the future and probably the present in Jason Campbell, as well as surprising veteran Todd Collins, but owner Dan Snyder might not trust either of those options.

They're certainly a contender, but would they be willing to stunt Jason Campbell's development? If they think they can win a Super Bowl with Favre, then it's possible.

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