The doubt was there. As sure as the three-day-old beard on his face and wisps of gray in his hair, it was there, in his voice. Brett Favre doesn't know. Doesn't know whether he'll be back in 2006 - or even which way he's leaning. Doesn't know if he can be the difference-maker he's always been. Doesn't know if the Green Bay Packers even want him as their quarterback anymore. And so, as Favre enters Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lambeau Field, he does so well-aware that it could be more than just the Packers' season finale; it could be his farewell. "This is 15 years," Favre said Wednesday. "And before you know it, here we are. And this could be it." If this is it, Favre will end what is likely a first-ballot Hall of Fame career on his worst team - before this year, the Packers (3-12) had never had a losing season since Favre arrived via a trade with Atlanta in February 1992 - and with his worst season statistically. Taking a career-worst passer rating of 70.5 and a career-high 28 interceptions into his NFL quarterback-record 241st consecutive start, one of the popular he-won't-quit theories has been that the ultra-competitive Favre could never stomach retiring after such a horrendous season. On Wednesday, he torpedoed that idea. "I've had so many people say, 'Well, you can't go out that way. You've got to come back and redeem yourself and redeem this team's season,'" said Favre, who is one interception shy of Lynn Dickey's 1983 single-season team record. "But in all honesty, if this is it, I have gone out on top. One season does not define me, no matter how good or how bad it is. "This has been a bad season. But I've had so many great memories here, so much success, I don't have to win (another) Super Bowl to go out on top. So that will not affect me as some people may think it would."? 'A different direction' What does seem to be affecting Favre is the possibility the franchise is ready to move on without him. With rookie first-round draft pick and heir apparent Aaron Rodgers on board, Favre acknowledged the team might decide it's better off without him and his $10 million salary-cap number. "Maybe they want to go in a different direction, and they don't know how to tell Brett Favre, 'We want to go in a different direction,'" said Favre, whose retirement would accelerate $2.4 million of unamortized signing bonus into the cap but would create a net gain of $7.6 million in cap room because of his $7 million base salary and $3 million roster bonus for 2006. "We're 3-12, and from a business standpoint, wouldn't you think they're sitting there going, 'OK, if we're running a risk of this happening again next year, we might as well save the money and put that money elsewhere, for the future?' " Asked if there's any question he wants Favre back next year, coach Mike Sherman replied simply, "No. None."

It took another workhorse-performance from running back Thomas Jones to propel the Chicago Bears to a 24-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers and a NFC North title on Sunday night. Jones finished with 105 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, continuing his solid, consistent play he has displayed all season. "We want to win the Super Bowl,'' defensive end Alex Brown said. "Everything else is second, and nobody wants to be second. We're not shy about our goals.''

Brett Favre will start his 240th consecutive game including the playoffs Sunday against the Chicago Bears, but his 239th was one to forget. Favre left for what the Green Bay Packers hope is their future late in the third quarter of Monday night's 48-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens when rookie first-round pick Aaron Rodgers entered during the worst beating the Packers have suffered since 1980. "I would much rather have played and been in a situation to win the ball game," Favre said Wednesday in his first comments since the loss. "If we were way up or way behind, [coach Mike Sherman] said he might play Aaron and I said, 'That's fine.' Up to the point that Aaron came in, we had gotten three points." Favre's performance -- 14-of-29 for 144 yards and two interceptions -- again is fueling speculation that this year, his first losing season as a starter, might be his last. "I've tried my best not to analyze not only this season, but a game like that the other night," Favre said. "I don't know if we can say the rest of the games this year have been embarrassing, but I think the other night was."

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Javon Walker has been conducting personal business on his own pretty much since the start of the regular season, but according to a source close to the NFL Players Association he has officially parted ways with agent Drew Rosenhaus. In order to terminate their business agreement, Walker has to file papers with the union declaring his intentions, which he apparently did. Other agents interested in recruiting Walker are not allowed to speak to him about contractual matters as long as he has an agreement with a specific agent, but according to the source Walker is officially no longer associated with Rosenhaus. Walker was unavailable for comment and Rosenhaus did not return a phone message seeking comment. Packers general manager Ted Thompson was out of town and also unavailable for comment. Rosenhaus signed Walker less than a year ago and led him through a tumultuous off-season in which the Packers receiver boycotted off-season workouts and threatened to hold out from training camp in the hopes of forcing the team to renegotiate his contract. The Packers did not budge and Walker reported to training camp under the terms of the deal he signed as a rookie in 2002. He has one year left on that contract after this season.