Aaron Rodgers said Wednesday that it's time for the "healing process to begin" between the Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre, adding that he hopes the quarterback's No. 4 can be retired by the team before he is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Rodgers said in a radio interview "The Jim Rome Show" that he's "excited" about the prospect of Favre and the Packers reuniting in some way.

"It's been too long," Rodgers said. "You know, our country and the state of Wisconsin, these people are a people of second and third and fourth chances. I think it's time to let the healing process begin for those who are still upset for what went down."

Rodgers spent the first the first three seasons of his career backing up Favre before emerging as the Packers franchise quarterback in 2008. The relationship between Favre and the Packers has been frayed since then, when the Packers traded Favre to the New York Jets after he came out of retirement.

Favre signed with the rival Minnesota Vikings a season later, further weakening the bond between the star quarterback and the team. Favre and Rodgers made a surprise joint appearance at the NFL Honors awards show earlier this year to present Peyton Manning his Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Rodgers told Rome that the reunion between the two former teammates "felt great." "I was totally OK with being out front of that, and I'm very secure of the things I've been able to accomplish with the team and individually here in Green Bay, and excited about the chance to see him again and get his number retired here before he goes into Canton," he said.

Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy said earlier this month during the team's Tailgate Tour that he wanted Favre "back involved in the organization soon" and expressed his desire to retire Favre's number at "the right time for him and us."