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The quarterback situation in Chicago is dire enough that there’s actually talk about what once would have been unthinkable: Brett Favre in a Bears uniform.

A source familiar with Favre’s thinking told ESPNChicago.com that Favre would listen if the Bears came calling.

It’s hard to fathom what the atmosphere would be like for the Christmas Day Bears-Packers game if Favre were the Bears’ quarterback, with a Chicago playoff bid potentially on the line, but it’s probably safe to say that this isn’t actually going to happen: The Bears are insisting that they’re not going to add any quarterbacks, and Favre hasn’t played in almost a year and looked well past his prime the last time he did play.

But the fact that sources close to Favre are telling reporters he’s interested in hearing from the Bears indicates that he doesn’t think his football career is completely over. Or at least that he enjoys having his name mentioned.