GREEN BAY -- When asked whether his new starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, had managed to ignore all the soap opera-like storylines and intense attention brought on by the Brett Favre unretirement controversy, Mike McCarthy could only smirk.

"How can you ignore all this?" the Green Bay Packers coach said, gesturing at the packed-house media auditorium for the first day of training camp.

OK, so maybe Rodgers hasn't ignored the Favre-related rollercoaster he's been on all summer, since Favre called McCarthy on June 20 to tell him he wanted his old job back. And maybe Rodgers hasn't completely blocked out all the potential distractions -- the biggest of which being Favre's possible arrival at camp sometime later this week, once he sends in the much talked-about reinstatement paperwork he has reportedly signed.

But all things considered, the coach said, the kid's done all right.

"I think he's dealing with it fine," McCarthy said. "These are external things that we have to deal with it, and he's doing everything he's supposed to do internally, I can promise you that."

He's also handling all the attention awfully well, too. While that obviously doesn't guarantee he'll throw for 350 yards and four touchdowns when the regular season begins Sept. 8 against the Minnesota Vikings -- or as Greta Van Susteren likes to call them, the "Minneapolis" Vikings -- it is proof that the gig isn't too big for the 2005 first-round pick, who has spent the last three seasons waiting for this opportunity.

Rodgers stood at his locker -- his personal preference, in stark contrast to Favre's weekly podium press conferences -- and answered questions from a mob of reporters for 23 minutes. Included in those questions were a number for OnMilwaukee.com. Here is an edited transcript of that session, for Milwaukee Talks.

OnMilwaukee.com: What has all this been like, with Favre's comeback talk?

Aaron Rodgers: I don't think much has changed. I was declared the starter back in the off-season, and as far as I know, I'm still the guy today. Now, obviously there's pressure enough just being a starter in this league, and with the circumstances that surround my situation, obviously there'll be a little more pressure. But it's still 11-on-11, it's still Xs and Os.

OMC: Have you talked to him?


AR: No.

OMC: Just no need?


AR: We have not talked.

OMC: Do you think it would be awkward if he showed up?


AR: We got along fine. Maybe the first couple days (would be awkward). I think it would be OK between us. But you (reporters) would probably make it bigger than maybe it was. Until it happens, I'm not going to speculate on it.

OMC: Do you feel you've earned the job, or has it been handed to you?


AR: I've put a lot of hard work in the last three seasons, I've waited in the wings, I've played well in one game. You can write the story you want. He retired in March, and they said I was the starting quarterback, and that's the direction we went in.

OMC: Do you have any doubt that the guys this locker room are 100 percent behind you?


AR: I don't. They're going to be behind whoever's under center. They've seen the hard work I've put in, I think I've earned a lot of respect from the guys playing on the scout team, being here 100 percent the last three off-seasons. Obviously they want to see a guy who's consistent on the field on Sundays, and obviously that's going to take a few weeks to prove that to some of the older guys, but I look forward to that challenge.

OMC: Do you think this whole thing is going to be a big distraction?


AR: We may be a young group, but we're a pretty mature group. I think the guys realize we've got a job to do, and training camp is an important time for us. There's jobs to be won, there's a lot to be proven on both sides of the ball. We want to start fast, get our schemes in and get into a rhythm.

OMC: Did you get any negative feedback from the fans on your first day, like, "You're no Brett Favre" or anything like that?


AR: If I did, I didn't hear any of it. ... I'm going to play my game -- making good decisions, being a good game manager, taking shots when they're there, and when the play breaks down, making some plays with my feet.

OMC: Can anything good come from the Favre situation?


AR: At the end of the day, I just hope he's content and happy with whatever happens. That's my hope for him. ... I can't imagine what it would be like to step away from the game, but I can understand that he still has the desire to play. Leaving the game like he did at the top of his game, I can totally understand that.

OMC: Is this whole thing unfair to you?


AR: I believe things happen for a reason. ... I know I'm going to be scrutinized a ton, but that's what comes with being a quarterback in this league. Expectations are high, but I don't think they can exceed the expectations I put on myself. Guys are always watching the quarterback, so you need to lead by your actions. And that's what I'm trying to do. I don't need people to feel sorry for me. Playing quarterback is a tough job, and there's a lot of scrutiny that goes along with that. You get too much blame a lot of times, you get too much credit a lot of times. And you just have to stay balanced and stay even-keeled.

OMC: Did you talk to Favre when you both were in Los Angeles for the ESPY awards?


AR: I saw his sister, daughter and cousin the night before. Me and his cousin have been close since 2005, so I gave him a big hug when I saw him. Asked where (Favre) and (his wife) Deanna were, they were at home sleeping. When we got to the ESPYs on Wednesday, he walked in real late and was sitting about 5 rows in front of me, so right at the end of the show I was actually getting up to go see him and he got whisked away by security, and then he wasn't at any of the after-parties.

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Posted by Z_boy on July 30, 2008 at 12:27 p.m. (report)

Ya know, saucypants, I like that idea. Favre's ego would never allow it, but if it did, it would work for all involved. One, in football terms, Favre is an old man, but he still is in decent shape -- just not for an entire game and for an entire season. Closing a game would allow for his skills to help the team while taking into account his body's age. Two, Favre still gets to play and still gets to be a Packer, yet he wouldn't have to worry about dealing with the rigors of an entire season and its effects on his almost 40-year-old body.

Posted by TomSellecksMustache on July 30, 2008 at 11:28 a.m. (report)

I think Favre would make a great "closer" for the Packers. He can work the last quarter. It works in Baseball, why not Football? :)