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."