For the past seven seasons, they have waged a battle -- one that's been both physical and verbal -- across the line of scrimmage.

	Sapp

	Favre

Tampa Bay Bucs defensive tackle Warren Sapp would sack Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre and then get in his face even quicker than he got in the backfield. Or Favre would rifle a touchdown pass and punctuate it with a few choice words, usually good-natured (but not always), for Sapp.

Realignment has done away with the twice-annual debates between the two. But Sunday afternoon, they get another shot at each other in what could well be one of the final times Favre and Sapp share a field together.

Favre had been candid this year in conceding that he has begun entertaining thoughts of retirement. There were even rumors this week that Favre might soon announce that the 2002 season will be his last. His agent, "Bus" Cook, debunked those rumors, but did acknowledge the three-time most valuable player is beginning to think more about his football after-life.

"If he was going to retire (after this season), I'm pretty sure I'd know it," said Cook, whose friendship with Favre goes far beyond the typical player-client relationship. "I don't think there's anything to that at all. I am very confident that Brett will play this year, play next year, then sit down with his family and start talking about when he might (retire). He still enjoys it, but he's not going to play forever, and he knows it."

Given that assessment, it might be wise to catch Sunday's latest edition of the Favre-Sapp competition, because there won't be many more. The teams could meet again in the playoffs and, under the current scheduling format, perhaps again in 2003. But neither is guaranteed.

The possibility that Sunday could be the final time Favre and Sapp are seen jaw-jackin' at each other on the field simply heightens what was already a compelling game featuring the two teams with the league's best record to this point in the season. It clearly has implications, like home-field advantage in the NFC playoff bracket, for the 8-2 clubs.

And the words of Cook obviously have some future implications for the Packers who, at some point soon, must begin grooming a quarterback for the post-Favre era, whenever it begins.

Green Bay has not chosen a quarterback prospect above the fourth round since the 1981 draft, when the Packers selected Rich Campbell of California with their first-round choice. In fact, since 1981, the Packers have chosen only two quarterbacks in the first three rounds of the draft.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.