GREEN BAY, Wis. (May 3, 2005) -- Brett Favre said he is disappointed with teammate Javon Walker's contract holdout, and suggested the Green Bay Packers could manage without the Pro Bowl wide receiver.
"If Javon wants to know what his quarterback thinks, and I would think he might, I'd tell him he's going about this the wrong way," Favre told the Green Bay Press-Gazette in a story posted on its web site.
"When his agent tells him not to worry about what his teammates think and all that stuff, I'd tell him I've been around a long time and that stuff will come back to haunt you."
Walker stayed away from a mandatory minicamp that ended May 1. The 35-year-old Favre had been excused from the minicamp by coach Mike Sherman.
Walker has two years left on the contract he signed as a first-round draft pick of the Packers in 2002.
He's coming off a breakout season last year when he caught 89 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns. He played in his first Pro Bowl in February.
Walker's new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, also represents cornerback Mike McKenzie, who held out of all the Packers' preseason training sessions a year ago. McKenzie was traded to New Orleans a few weeks into the season.
Favre said Walker might be wise to go to general manager Ted Thompson directly and try to work out a new deal.
"Javon has tremendous potential," Favre said. "We got to see some of that last year. The sky's the limit for that guy, and I'd be the first to defend him, but he's going about it the wrong way."
If Walker's position doesn't change, Favre said, he would prefer the team to go without him. The situation reminded him of Sterling Sharpe's decision to hold out the night before the Packers played host to the Minnesota Vikings in the 1994 season opener.
"We've got guys who'll give great effort. Stars are made that way. Look what happened when Sterling left. Robert Brooks stepped up," Favre said. "We can win without him."
"Maybe I'm old-school, but I always thought you honor a contract," Favre said. "Sure, sometimes guys pass you up in salary, and maybe it's a lesser player, but it's all based on what a team has as far as value in that person."
Favre left no doubt how he thinks the team should handle the situation.
"I sure hope the Packers don't give in to him," he said.
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