Packers president Mark Murphy expects quarterback Brett Favre to make a decision about his football future before the end of the week.

And, more important to fans throughout the state, Murphy expects that Favre will return for another season.

"My guess is that he's going to come back," Murphy told the audience at a Milwaukee Press Club Newsmakers Luncheon Wednesday afternoon. "The team is really positioned at a very high level. He's still playing very, very well. I think he still enjoys it, particularly the games. He has a passion for it.

"It's not as easy a decision as some people want to think."

Murphy, who replaced Bob Harlan as team president on Jan. 1, said he has spoken to Favre a couple of times and generally leaves football issues to general manager Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy.

"Both Ted and mike have been in regular contact with Brett," Murphy said. "Everybody can speculate about it. He's obviously still playing at a very high level. The team has gotten better around him and is in a position to really do great things next year.

"What we don't see... You watch the games on Sunday, you see the joy and how much fun he has in the game and he's obviously still playing at a high level. What you don't see is all the work he has to do in the off-seasons, the training and the grind of it.

"He wants to make sure that he's ready to put himself through that again before he makes he decision to come back."