The annual National Football League winter question -- will Brett Favre retire? -- is in prime focus now that the New York Jets' season is over. And it seems he is leaning that way.

It's a dangerous business, forecasting Favre's future. It has seemed he's been leaning toward retirement when the season ends for each of the past three years, only to surprise teammates and family with the decision to come back and play.

As I reported Saturday afternoon on NBC Sports, Favre told me Friday night that he informed Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum that "it may be time to look in a different direction'' at the quarterback position when they spoke Monday, in the wake of the Jets' total collapse down the stretch.

New York was 8-3 in late November, in command of the AFC East, but lost four of their last five games -- with Favre playing abysmally -- to fall out of the playoffs. The swoon cost Eric Mangini the head-coaching job and could well have cemented Favre's decision to make the New York experiment a one-year venture.

Favre, on a hunting trip in western Mississippi on Friday, told me that Tannenbaum said to him Monday, "If I ask you about your future now, I know what you'll say. So I'm not going to ask you.''

What Tannenbaum did ask Favre is to give his decision some time, and told him that the Jets definitely wanted him back and he should take all the time he needs to decide.

According to Favre, he responded, "I'll take some time, but it may be time to look in a different direction.''

What seems different this year from last year is that Favre felt -- whether these signals were meant to be sent by Green Bay brass -- that the Packers wanted him to retire. He feels from Tannenbaum and owner Woody Johnson that his return is wanted, even if there have been a few players sniping about either his ability or his dedication to the job in the last few days. But it might not matter. Favre also said Jets doctors recommended that if he was intending to play again, he should have arthroscopic surgery to repair his damaged right biceps. But Favre declined.

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You shouldn't read certain retirement into that, however. Late in his Green Bay career, Favre had a similar injury in his left arm and he said it went away without surgery being needed.

"I'm going to do like Mike says -- give it a few weeks and make a decision,'' Favre said.

It's always a dangerous game, trying to predict Favre's future. But after speaking to him Friday night, I would be very surprised if he does not retire -- this time for good.

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