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It's possible. Again.

Favre has made another move toward leaving the game for good by filing retirement papers with the league, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed Monday.

That said, this is merely a procedural matter, to start the clock on a player's pension and Hall of Fame eligibility.

And as the Associated Press pointed out, Favre has done this before, only to change his mind. Retired players can request to be reinstated at any time.

But the news was another sign that Favre's 20-year career has come to an end, as he repeatedly insisted throughout a disappointing 2010 season for the Minnesota Vikings.

The 41-year-old Favre threw for only 11 touchdowns in 13 games and was intercepted 19 times, finishing with a career-low 69.9 passer rating that ranked third-worst in the NFL among qualifying quarterbacks.

As AP sports writer Dave Campbell reminded readers, Favre's body took quite a beating, getting knocked out of three different games while dealing with injuries to his elbow, foot, chin, neck, back, ribs and calf -- plus the sprained throwing shoulder that ended his all-time record streak of 297 straight regular-season games started. Then he suffered a concussion in what wound up being his last game, on Dec. 20 against the Chicago Bears.

"I know it's time, and that's OK. It is," Favre said after the season finale. "Again, I hold no regrets, and I can't think of too many players offhand that can walk away and say that. Individually and from a team standpoint, it was way more than I ever dreamed of."

After years of waffling, Favre cried as he announced his retirement from the Green Bay Packers in March 2008. With the Vikings interested but the Packers unwilling to let him join their rival, he was traded to the New York Jets.

Following one season there, he declared he was done again in February 2009 -- when he also filed his official retirement papers.

The Vikings wooed him back to the field that summer, though, and they rode his renaissance performance -- 33 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions -- to the NFC championship game. After needing another summer of persuasion to return in 2010, however, Favre wasn't the same and the Vikings slumped badly to 6-10 while going through all kinds of drama.

So now Favre has headed home to Mississippi, presumably for good as his two-year contract with the Vikings is expiring.

As USA Today's Sean Leahy noted, longtime friend Ryan Longwell, the Vikings' kicker, and Minnesota head coach Leslie Frazier then said they were confident Favre wouldn't return to the NFL.

"We won't see him don another uniform, ever. Anywhere,' Frazier said. "No doubt in my mind whatsoever.'

While I truly believe the off-field controversies that swirled around Favre this past year will be sufficient to keep the NFL's all-time leader of almost every major passing mark there is from returning to add to those totals, I think anybody claiming to know -- without a doubt -- what Favre will do is taking a chance.

If nothing else, I'll be keeping an eye out for news from Mississippi all offseason long -- if for no other reason than that's how I've spent every offseason in recent memory.

Much like Favre's serial waffling; it's become almost a habit.