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GREEN BAY — As practice ended Tuesday afternoon, Charles Woodson couldn't help himself.

"We want Brett!" the Green Bay Packers veteran cornerback shouted toward the assembled media throng on the sideline, and he let out a hearty laugh afterward.

Well, Woodson is about to get his wish, and the organization's nightmare scenario is on the verge of playing out: Favre faxed his reinstatement paperwork into the NFL offices in New York while practice was going on Tuesday, and a league spokesman confirmed receiving it from the iconic — and soon-to-be unretired — quarterback around 5 p.m.

"That's obviously the first step of Brett coming back," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said after practice. "So we'll deal with that when he's reinstated and we'll definitely have a plan in order. We'll address everything as far as the details of how Brett Favre fits into our future plans when he arrives here in Green Bay.

"Brett Favre is still a very good football player. He's an asset to our football team. The plans for Brett Favre will be discussed with Brett Favre first and then we'll make it aware to the public.

"There are no ill feelings toward Brett Favre and he will be welcome back in our locker room."

Apparently not. A team source said late Tuesday night that the team had chartered a private jet to fly president Mark Murphy to Hattiesburg, Miss., where he will meet with Favre and his agent, James "Bus" Cook, at Cook's office this morning in an effort to dissuade Favre from coming to Green Bay. The flight departed Green Bay's Austin Straubel airport at 9:33 p.m. and arrived in Hattiesburg shortly before midnight.

NFL spokesman Randall Liu said the league had not acted upon Favre's request as of close of business Tuesday, but commissioner Roger Goodell already has said he will grant Favre's reinstatement.

When Goodell officially reinstates Favre, presumably some time Wednesday, the move would run on the league's daily transaction wire. That would then start the clock on the Packers' 24-hour window to release Favre, trade him or put him back on the 80-man roster.

"Aaron's the guy, then you've got a guy who used to be the guy," director of football operations Reggie McKenzie said. "So how are you going to handle that?"

The Packers practice at 8:45 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday but do not have practice on Thursday, one of McCarthy's designated "recovery" days on which the players have meetings and walk-throughs but no on-field practice time.

Favre's first chance to get onto the field would presumably be Friday, when the team again practices in the morning and evening.

However, when he arrives, Favre will be put through a physical and then the running test the players went through last Sunday.

That, in theory, would keep him off the field another day and buy the team more time to strike a deal with one of the two non-NFC North teams most interested in Favre — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets — or another club.

"He'll come in and go through a physical and then he'll be evaluated," McCarthy said. "He'll have a running test to see where is conditioning is and we'll evaluate that, then we'll have a practice plan."

Sooner or later, the team would have to let Favre on the field if a deal can't get done. One would think the team would want to complete a trade before Sunday night's intrasquad scrimmage at Lambeau Field, where roughly 60,000 fans would potentially be watching Favre and new starter Aaron Rodgers go head-to-head.

"They'll burn the place down," one player said.

Rodgers, who has been mostly unflappable throughout the saga, didn't seem fazed by the latest development.

"He's not here yet. I think we're still dealing with a hypothetical at the moment," Rodgers said. "I've been empowered as the starting quarterback, and until that changes, I'll say it again, that's going to be my focus.

"You know, I'm not as affected as you guys think I am or should be."

It's hard to know what kind of shape Favre will be in upon his arrival. Although he worked out with the Oak Grove High School football team in Hattiesburg, Miss., in advance of his comeback, he missed all of the Packers' offseason organized team activity practices and the mandatory minicamp.

McCarthy also said last week that he didn't think Favre had been working out with the personal trainer he's used in past offseasons.

"I'm pretty much resolved 90 percent of myself that it's always the same ol' Brett," McKenzie said. "Every offseason he's been here, which is all of his offseasons, he's never looked like an old man, ever. He's always moving around. His arm never withered. I don't expect anything different, to be honest with you. I do expect more determination. I think his attitude will probably be a little more (intense)."

Whatever happens, it will be interesting, Woodson said.

"It'll be a zoo," Woodson said. "You know what he's meant to this team. He's an icon here."