Brett Favre's number to be retired by Packers on Thanksgiving night

ByRob Demovsky ESPN logo
Wednesday, April 22, 2015

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers are planning to hold Brett Favre's number retirement ceremony on Thanksgiving night, a source confirmed.

The Packers will host the Chicago Bears in a prime-time game on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26).

A source said details still have to be worked out before there will be an official announcement about Favre's retirement ceremony.

"First I've heard of it," Favre said in a text message to ESPN.com. "But it doesn't matter anyway as long as the fans are happy with it."

The Bears and Packers also are scheduled to meet Week 1 at Soldier Field. This marks the first time the two division rivals have squared off in the regular-season opener since quarterback Jay Cutler made his less-than-memorable Bears debut in a 21-15 loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field in 2009.

Last week, Packers president Mark Murphy said he asked the league for special scheduling consideration with regard to Favre's ceremony, but wouldn't specify what his request entailed.

Favre's agent, Bus Cook, made reference to a November date during an interview with ESPN.com at the scouting combine. Cook also said he hoped a retirement ceremony would coincide with a Bears-Packers game.

Favre's uniform No. 4 actually will be retired during his July 18 induction into the Packers Hall of Fame, but it won't go up on the Lambeau Field faade until the ceremony on Nov. 26.

ESPN.com's Jeff Dickerson contributed to this report.

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