AP

Before Seahawks G.M. John Schneider signed his latest extension in Seattle, he had a clause that allowed him to leave for the team that plays in his home state of Wisconsin. At the time, it was believed that Schneider or Eliot Wolf would become the successor to Packers G.M. Ted Thompson.

With Schneider reportedly dropping the Green Bay clause from his most recent contract, Wolf now resides solely in the on-deck circle. And with the 49ers interviewing Wolf to join Schneider in the NFC West, things could be coming to a head in the land of cheese.

Amid chatter that either Thompson or coach Mike McCarthy won’t be back in 2017, the Santa Clara courtship of Eliot Wolf sets the stage for Thompson to step aside, voluntarily or otherwise. Friction has persisted between Thompson and McCarthy over the General Manager’s reluctance to pursue free agents, and another home loss to the Giants in the postseason could cause the relationship to reach the boiling point.

Even if the Packers win on Sunday (and even if they keep winning), the time possibly has come for Thompson to pass the baton. If Thompson isn’t truly ready to go, the irony will be obvious to people like Brett Favre, who according to Jeff Pearlman’s biography grew to despise Thompson over the team’s effort to nudge Favre into retirement so that Aaron Rodgers could be elevated to starter.

Whether Thompson is or isn’t ready to leave, the possibility that Wolf could be leaving could be enough to trigger a changing of the Green Bay guard. And if Eliot Wolf performs like his father, Ron, the Packers could be in great shape for many years to come.