April 29, 200422 yr Chicago, Green Bay express interest in Couch Posted: Thursday April 29, 2004 12:48PM; Updated: Thursday April 29, 2004 1:59PM GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Brett Favre doesn't care if Tim Couch comes to Green Bay. Favre may not have to. Couch, who has been talking to the Packers, was given permission Thursday by the Cleveland Browns to talk to another NFC North team, the Chicago Bears, in hopes of pulling off a trade. Browns spokesman Todd Stewart said Bears general manager Jerry Angelo contacted Cleveland coach Butch Davis on Wednesday. Chicago's interest comes just days after the club drafted Ohio State's Craig Krenzel in the fifth round. Rex Grossman, a first-round pick last season, is the Bears' projected starter with Jonathan Quinn backing him up. The Packers have been negotiating with agent Tom Condon for weeks in an attempt to get Couch, but have so far been unable to reach an agreement. Green Bay wants Couch, a former No. 1 overall draft choice, to back up starter Favre. Couch would sit in Green Bay, but he could come in and win the Bears' starting job in training camp. Favre, meanwhile, said he is not worried. "I haven't put much thought into it, really," the Green Bay Packers' star quarterback said Wednesday. "I'm just concerned about what I'm doing and continuing to play the way I've played, to try to be there every week." Favre has started 208 straight games, a record for an NFL quarterback. "I've never been concerned about who would play if I got hurt, because I don't anticipate that happening," Favre said. "I realize that at some point someone else will be the starting quarterback for this team, but I haven't put much thought into it." The Packers have. Although they hope Favre can play at least two more years, they realize he's 34 and entering his 14th NFL season, and they would like to start grooming his successor as soon as they can. They failed to land a quarterback in the draft last weekend, however, and with the Couch negotiations stalled, they re-signed Doug Pederson, who took most of the snaps at minicamp Wednesday. The Cleveland Browns are trying to trade Couch, the top draft pick in 1999, who became expendable with the signing of Jeff Garcia. The Packers are trying to rework the final two years of Couch's deal, which call for him to make $15.6 million. Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.