"Brett Favre and his wife left Green Bay on Wednesday afternoon not knowing if his eventual NFL destination is Tampa Bay, New York or somewhere else.

Favre and his wife, Deanna, boarded the private plane bound for Hattiesburg, Miss., at about 12:20 p.m. CT, saying that a trade was not yet completed and that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets are both still in the running.

"I just want to get on the field and get going -- I'm 38 years old," Favre said.

Favre left Green Bay a day after he and Packers management concluded he could not return as quarterback of the Packers -- who had decided to move ahead with Aaron Rodgers as the starter, and also do not want to see Favre play for an NFC North rival.

As for the situation with the Packers, Favre said, "It's clear how everyone feels, and how they feel about me -- this is something that should have been resolved a long time ago."

Asked what it felt like to leave Green Bay -- most likely for the last time as a Packer -- he said, "Well, I already retired once," and laughed.

"Did I wake up this morning and feel I should be at practice over there? No," Favre said. "I watched that scrimmage Sunday night and it didn't seem so strange that I wasn't out there, so maybe the writing was on the wall then."

He said he hoped to work out in Hattiesburg later Wednesday.

Deanna Favre said it has been an emotional few days for the family, with their two daughters calling several times a day not knowing what's going on.

Deanna Favre also said there was a group of fans outside their house in Green Bay on Wednesday morning, holding signs asking her husband not to leave. That was difficult, she said, because she and Brett feel close to the Green Bay community.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy spoke to Favre again Tuesday night, but there was no indication that their conversation did anything to change the fractured relationship between Favre and the franchise.

"It was just very general," McCarthy said of the conversation with Favre. "Just how he was doing, where he was with the process, things like that."

McCarthy said he was happy the rest of his players were getting a chance to move forward.

"We talked about it last night," McCarthy said. "The players want resolution, they want what everybody wants. To come out here every day and talk about somebody that is not here and then shows up, it's gone on too long, and understandably so. They want to play football."

Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, confirmed Wednesday in an e-mail to The Associated Press that the Buccaneers and Jets were emerging as the most likely trade destinations for the three-time MVP.

Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden refused to address speculation that the team was on the verge of a deal for Favre. The Buccaneers have yet to confirm publicly that they are interested in Favre, although Gruden conceded that Favre's situation is "unprecedented" and acknowledged that he's always willing to explore ways to improve his team.

"We are a good football team," Gruden said. "We're trying to become a great one. We'll do anything we can to get better. And if that involves looking at other players, by George that's our job. That's our responsibility."

Sources told Chris Mortensen late Tuesday that Favre has already spoken to the Buccaneers and the Jets as potential teams in a trade with Green Bay.

The Jets had no comment on the Favre situation, a team spokesman told The Associated Press on Wednesday."