Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
quarterback
The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
who played in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 2010, including 297 regular season games, the
most in league history. He was also the first NFL quarterback to obtain 70,000 yards, 10,000 passes, 6,000 completions, 500 touchdowns, and victories over all 32 teams.
Favre played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles and was selected in the second round of the
1991 NFL draft
The 1991 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 21–22, 1991, at the Marriott Ma ...
by the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
, where he spent one season as a backup. Traded to the Packers, he became their starter early in the 1992 season and revitalized a franchise that had been in a period of decline since the late 1960s. During his 16 seasons with Green Bay, he led the team to 11 playoff appearances, seven division titles, four
NFC Championship Game
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
s, two consecutive
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
appearances, and one championship title in
Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
, the team's first in nearly three decades. Favre was traded in 2008 to the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
, where he played one year, and spent his final two seasons with the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
. His 2009 campaign for the Vikings saw him guide them to a division title and NFC Championship Game appearance, while having one of his strongest statistical seasons.
At the time of his retirement, Favre was the NFL leader in
passing yards
The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see '' Glossary of Canadian football''.
0–9
...
,
passing touchdowns, and
quarterback wins, and
holds the record for interceptions.
From 1995 to 1997, he was named
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...
three times, the most the award was consecutively received. Favre also received 11
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
and three first-team
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
selections. He was inducted to the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
in 2016.
In 2022, Favre began to face controversy for the
Mississippi welfare funds scandal after investigations determined $8 million intended for welfare programs went to Favre or causes he championed. Favre has denied the allegations and filed a
defamation
Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...
lawsuit against the
State Auditor of Mississippi and two media personalities over their coverage of him.
Early life
Brett Favre was born in
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport ( ) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States, and its co-county seat. It had a population of 72,926 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Mississippi, second-most populous ...
, the son of Bonita Ann (née French) and Irvin Ernest Favre, and raised in the small town of
Kiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or Chemical Changes, chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects m ...
. Both of his parents were schoolteachers in the
Hancock County School District. He is of part
French ancestry. One of his ancestors is
Simon Favre, a
Louisiana Creole
Louisiana Creole is a French-based creole language spoken by fewer than 10,000 people, mostly in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Also known as Kouri-Vini, it is spoken today by people who may racially identify as white, black, mixed, and Native ...
and an influential figure in
Spanish West Florida
Spanish West Florida ( Spanish: ''Florida Occidental'') was a province of the Spanish Empire from 1783 until 1821, when both it and East Florida were ceded to the United States.
The region of West Florida initially had the same borders as the e ...
in the late 18th and early 19th centuries; Brett descends from Simon's
Choctaw
The Choctaw ( ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States, originally based in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choct ...
Native American mistress, Pistikiokonay, and thus his grandfather was affiliated with the Choctaw.
Brett was the second of four children and attended
Hancock North Central High School, where he played
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
and
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
. Favre started for the Hancock North Central baseball team as an eighth-grader and earned five varsity letters. He played
quarterback
The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
,
lineman,
strong safety
Safety (S), historically known as a safetyman, is a position in gridiron football on the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up ten to fifteen yards from the line of scrimmage. There are two variations of the position: the free sa ...
,
placekicker
In gridiron football, the placekicker (PK), or simply kicker (K), is the player responsible for attempts at scoring Field goal (football), field goals and extra points. In most cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist ...
, and
punter in a primarily
option, run-oriented offense coached by his father, Irvin Favre, who was the head coach of the Hawks football team.

Irvin Favre said he knew his son had a great arm but also knew that the school had good
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
s. As a result, in the three years Brett was on the team, his father ran the
wishbone, a run-oriented offense. Favre rarely threw more than five passes in a game.
Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bac ...
assistant coach Mark McHale, who was scouting new football recruits for the school, watched Favre play during a Hancock North Central football game after receiving recommendation from many nearby coaches.
McHale, observing Favre mostly hand the ball off in running plays in the two games he watched, was set on leaving when he suddenly saw Favre throw the ball in such a captivating way that he later described it by saying the ball "had smoke and flames coming off it".
[
]
College career
After high school, Southern Mississippi offered Favre a football scholarship at the urging of assistant coach McHale, which was the only one he received.[ Southern Miss wanted him to play ]defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
, but Favre wanted to play quarterback instead. Favre began his freshman year as the seventh-string quarterback and took over the starting position in the second half of the third game of the year against Tulane
The Tulane University of Louisiana (commonly referred to as Tulane University) is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by a cohort of medical doctors, it be ...
on September 19, 1987. Favre, despite suffering a hangover from the night before and vomiting during warm-ups, led the Golden Eagles to a come-from-behind victory with two touchdown passes.[ Favre started ten games during his freshman year and won six of them.
In his junior season, Favre led the ]Golden Eagles
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of p ...
to an upset of #6 Florida State
Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
on September 2, 1989. Favre capped a six-and-a-half-minute drive with the game-winning touchdown pass with 23 seconds remaining.
On July 14, 1990, before the start of Favre's senior year at Southern Miss, he was involved in a nearly fatal car accident. When going around a bend a few tenths of a mile from his parents' house, Favre lost control of his car, which flipped three times and came to rest against a tree. It was only after one of his brothers smashed a car window with a golf club that Favre could be evacuated and rushed to the hospital. In the ambulance
An ambulance is a medically-equipped vehicle used to transport patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to ...
, his mother was sitting with him. "All I kept asking erwas 'Will I be able to play football again?'" Favre recalled later. Doctors would later remove 30 inches (76 cm) of Favre's small intestine
The small intestine or small bowel is an organ (anatomy), organ in the human gastrointestinal tract, gastrointestinal tract where most of the #Absorption, absorption of nutrients from food takes place. It lies between the stomach and large intes ...
. Eight weeks after this incident, on September 8, Favre led Southern Miss to a comeback victory over Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
. Alabama coach Gene Stallings
Eugene Clifton Stallings Jr. (born March 2, 1935) is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at Texas A&M University (1954–1956), where he was one of the "Junction Boys", and later served as the head coach at hi ...
said, "You can call it a miracle or a legend or whatever you want to. I just know that on that day, Brett Favre was larger than life."
Favre formerly held several Southern Miss football records until most were surpassed by Austin Davis by the end of the 2011 season. Favre had 15 games over his career where he compiled more than 200 passing yards, making him fourth in school history on the all–time list in that category. Of those 15 games, five were 300-yard games, the most compiled by any of the school's quarterbacks. Additionally, he was the seasonal leader in total passing and total offense in all four of his seasons at Southern Miss.
Favre earned a teaching degree with an emphasis in special education
Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual di ...
from the University of Southern Mississippi.
College statistics
Professional career
Atlanta Falcons (1991)
Favre was selected by the Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
in the second round with the 33rd overall pick in the 1991 NFL draft
The 1991 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 21–22, 1991, at the Marriott Ma ...
. On July 19, 1991, Favre agreed to a three-year, US$1.4 million contract with a reported signing bonus of $350,000. Atlanta head coach Jerry Glanville
Jerry Michael Glanville (born October 14, 1941) is an American football coach. He is the defensive coordinator for Northwestern Oklahoma State University, a position he has held since 2024. Prior to that, was most recently the head coach of the ...
did not approve of the drafting of Favre, saying it would take a plane crash for him to put Favre into the game. Favre's first pass in an NFL regular season game resulted in an interception returned for a touchdown in a week 11 game against the Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
. He only attempted four passes in his one season with Atlanta, going 0 for 4 with 2 interceptions. Favre took one other snap, which resulted in a sack for an eleven-yard loss.
Green Bay Packers (1992–2007)
On February 11, 1992, Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
general manager Ron Wolf traded the first-round pick his team had received from the Philadelphia Eagles (17th overall) in a trade the previous year to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for Favre. Wolf, while an assistant to the general manager of the New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
, had intended to take Favre in the 1991 NFL Draft, but Favre was taken by the Falcons on the previous pick.
According to the ''Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper and also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely read. It was purchased by the G ...
'' and other sources, during the physical after the trade, Favre was diagnosed with avascular necrosis
Avascular necrosis (AVN), also called osteonecrosis or bone infarction, is death of bone tissue due to interruption of the blood supply. Early on, there may be no symptoms. Gradually joint pain may develop, which may limit the person's abilit ...
of the hip, the same degenerative condition that ended running back Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962) is an American former professional baseball and American football, football player. He is the only professional athlete in history to be named an All-star#Sports, All-Star in Major professio ...
's football career, and doctors recommended his physical be failed, which would nullify the trade. Wolf overruled them.
Favre played 16 seasons in Green Bay. During his time with the Packers, Favre was the first and only NFL player to win three consecutive AP MVP awards.[ He helped the Packers appear in two Super Bowls, winning ]Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
and losing Super Bowl XXXII
Super Bowl XXXII was an American football game played between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion and defending Super Bowl XXXI champion Green Bay Packers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide t ...
. Favre started every Packers game from September 20, 1992, to January 20, 2008, a streak of 253 games. The record would continue after he left the Packers, reaching 297 games in the regular season. This remains the all-time record for consecutive starts in the NFL.
Beginnings (1992–94)
In the second game of the 1992 season, the Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. They are the third ...
played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
. The Buccaneers were leading 17–0 at halftime, when head coach Mike Holmgren
Michael George Holmgren (born June 15, 1948) is an American former American football, football coach and executive in the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL career as a quarterbacks' coach and later as an offensive coordinator wit ...
benched starting quarterback Don Majkowski and Favre played the second half. On his first regular season play as a Packer, Favre threw a pass that was deflected by Buccaneers player Ray Seals and caught by Favre. Favre was tackled and the completion went for −7 yards. The Packers lost the game 31–3, chalking up only 106 yards passing. The following week, Majkowski injured a ligament in his ankle against the Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
, an injury severe enough that he would be out for four weeks. Favre replaced Majkowski for the remainder of the game. Favre fumbled four times during the course of the game,[ a performance poor enough that the crowd chanted for Favre to be removed in favor of another Packers backup quarterback at the time, Ty Detmer.] However, down 23–17 with 1:07 left in the game, the Packers started an offensive series on their own 8-yard line. Favre then completed a 42-yard pass to wide receiver Sterling Sharpe
Sterling Sharpe (born April 6, 1965) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks, and p ...
. Three plays later, Favre threw the game–winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds remaining.[ Favre would go on to keep the starting job for the rest of his tenure in Green Bay. The next week's game against the ]Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
started the longest consecutive starts streak for a quarterback in NFL history. The game ended in a 17–3 victory and Favre finished with a passer rating
Passer rating (also known as passing efficiency in college football) is a measure of the performance of passers, primarily quarterbacks, in gridiron football. There are two formulas currently in use: one used by both the National Football Leagu ...
of 144.6 by going 14-of-19 for 210 yards and two touchdowns. During the season, Favre helped put together a six-game winning streak for the Packers, the longest winning streak for the club since 1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
. In the winning streak was a 38–10 victory over the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
in week 14, where Favre was 15-of-19 for 214 yards and three touchdowns to give him a 153.2 passer rating. They ended 9–7 that season, missing the playoffs on their last game, a 27–7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
. Favre finished his first season as a Packer with 3,227 yards and a quarterback rating of 85.3, helping him to his first Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
.
The following season, Favre helped the Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. They are the third ...
to their first playoff berth since 1982 and was named to his second Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
. Favre had his first career 400-yard passing game in week 14 against the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
in a 30–17 loss. He led the NFC in pass attempts, pass completions, and pass interceptions. Favre also had four game winning drives giving him seven for his career up to that point. In the Wild Card Round against the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
, he had 204 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in his playoff debut, a 28–24 win. In the following game in the Divisional Round, Favre had 331 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in the 27–17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
. After the season, Favre became a free agent. General manager Ron Wolf negotiated Favre into a five-year, $19 million contract.
The Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. They are the third ...
finished the 1994 season with a 9–7 record, advancing to the playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
in back to back years, a feat they had not accomplished since the Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas Lombardi ( ; June 11, 1913 – September 3, 1970) was an American professional football coach and executive in the National Football League (NFL). Lombardi is considered by many to be among the greatest coaches and leaders in Ame ...
era. After a victory over the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
in the Wild Card Round, Favre and Packers fell to the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
in the Divisional Round.
MVP (×3) and Super Bowl seasons (1995–97)
In 1995, Favre won the first of his three AP MVP awards. Favre led the Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. They are the third ...
to an 11–5 record, Green Bay's best record in nearly thirty years. Favre passed for a career-high of 4,413 yards, 38 touchdowns, and recorded a quarterback rating of 99.5, which was the highest of his career until he recorded a rating of 107.2 during the 2009 season. Favre also tied an NFL record by passing for at least two touchdowns in twelve consecutive games, a feat he accomplished over the 1994–1995 seasons. The Packers advanced to the NFC Championship Game
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
after upsetting the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
in the Divisional Round. The Packers lost the NFC Championship to the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
, marking the third year in a row the Packers season was ended by the Cowboys in the playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
. Favre helped the Packers advance farther in the playoffs than any other Packer team since 1967, which was the season the Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. They are the third ...
last won the championship in Super Bowl II
The second AFL–NFL World Championship Game (known retroactively as Super Bowl II) was an American football game played on January 14, 1968, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The National Football League (NFL)'s defending champion Green Ba ...
.
While being treated for various injuries, Favre developed an addiction to Vicodin
Hydrocodone/paracetamol (also known as hydrocodone/acetaminophen) is the combination of the pain medications hydrocodone and paracetamol (acetaminophen). It is used to treat moderate to severe pain. It is taken by mouth. Recreational use is ...
, which became publicly known when he had a seizure following routine ankle surgery in late February. Amid an NFL investigation, he went public to avoid any rumors about his condition. In May 1996, he went into treatment and remained in rehabilitation for 46 days. Had he chosen not to go, the NFL would have imposed a $900,000 fine.
Favre led the Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. They are the third ...
to their best season in 30 years in the 1996 season, winning his second consecutive MVP award in the process. The Packers led the NFL in points scored (456) as well as fewest points allowed (210), joining only the 1972 Dolphins as the only two teams to ever accomplish this. The defense also set a then NFL record for the fewest touchdowns allowed in a 16-game season with 19. Favre threw for 3,899 yards, a career-high 39 touchdown passes (third highest ever at the time), only 13 interceptions, and passer rating of 95.8 (the third highest of his career). Green Bay tied the Denver Broncos for the NFL's best regular-season record, 13–3, defeated the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
(35–14) and Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
(30–13) at Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field () is an outdoor athletic stadium in the East North Central states, north central United States, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The home field of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), it opened in 1957 Green ...
in the playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
. The Packers advanced to Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
at the Louisiana Superdome
Caesars Superdome (originally Louisiana Superdome and formerly Mercedes-Benz Superdome), commonly known as the Superdome, is a domed multi-purpose stadium in the Southern United States, southern United States, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. ...
, a short drive from Favre's hometown.
In Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
, Favre completed 14-of-27 passes for 246 yards and two touchdown passes. On the second play of the game, Favre called an audible and threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Andre Rison
Andre Previn Rison (born March 18, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Gree ...
. In addition, Favre completed an 81-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Antonio Freeman
Antonio Michael Freeman (born May 27, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL), most notably for the Green Bay Packers. He attended the Baltimore Polytechnic Institu ...
in the second quarter (then a Super Bowl record for longest touchdown catch). Favre rushed for 12 yards and another touchdown, as the Packers won Super Bowl XXXI over the New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
, 35–21. In their 19 games of the season, the Packers had a turnover differential of plus 24, and outscored their opponents 100–48 in the playoffs.[
Favre and the ]Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. They are the third ...
continued their dominance of the NFC during the next season. Favre was named AP co-MVP of the league along with Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
' running back Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is an American former professional football running back who played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and in rushin ...
, his third straight award. He finished the season with 3,867 passing yards, 35 touchdown passes, 16 interceptions, and a passer rating of 92.6. The Packers finished with a 13–3 record and became the only team to ever defeat six teams that would go on to make the playoffs. Also, Green Bay advanced through the playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. After being heavily favored by 11 points, the Packers lost to the Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
in Super Bowl XXXII
Super Bowl XXXII was an American football game played between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion and defending Super Bowl XXXI champion Green Bay Packers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide t ...
by the score of 31–24 at Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in San Diego, California, United States. Opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium; it was renamed Jack Murphy Stadium for sportswriter Jack Murphy (sportswriter), Jack Murphy from 1981 to 1997. From 1997 t ...
in San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, ending the NFC's 13-year Super Bowl-winning streak. Denver defeating Green Bay was one of the biggest upsets in NFL history. Favre completed 25-of-42 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception and one fumble in the losing effort. Super Bowl XXXII was Favre's last appearance in a Super Bowl in his career, despite playing for another decade.
Mid-career (1998–2002)
Favre led the Packers to an NFL record 29 consecutive home wins (25 regular season, 4 post season) until they were defeated by the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
on ''Monday Night Football
''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...
'' on October 5, 1998. Favre's record for consecutive regular season home wins stood until 2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
when Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
led the New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
to a home victory over the New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
on December 6, 2010. Despite Brady and the Patriots surpassing the regular season mark for consecutive home victories, the combined regular season plus post season mark remains an NFL record for Favre since the Patriots had their combined regular and post season streak interrupted by a home playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
on January 10, 2010.
The Packers lost to the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
in the Wild Card Round in 1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
. Favre had rallied the team with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Antonio Freeman
Antonio Michael Freeman (born May 27, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL), most notably for the Green Bay Packers. He attended the Baltimore Polytechnic Institu ...
with 1:56 remaining in the game to put the Packers up 27–23. However, Steve Young
Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Bu ...
responded with a touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
of his own to wide receiver Terrell Owens
Terrell Eldorado Owens (; born December 7, 1973), also known by his initials "T.O.", is an American former professional football wide receiver who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Regarded as one of the greatest wide rec ...
with three seconds remaining to end the Packers season. Favre and the Packers failed for the first time since 1994 to at least reach the NFC Championship.
During the final game of the 1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season (NFL), regular season of the National Football League (NFL). The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 NFL season, 1995 season, while the Tennessee Oilers chan ...
, Favre and the Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. They are the third ...
were involved in what has been described as a bizarre tie-breaking scenario which resulted in four teams that finished with 8–8 records where two of the teams would qualify for the playoffs and the other two would be eliminated. Going into their season finale against the Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
, the Packers needed to win their game, have the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
lose their game later that afternoon, and also needed the Packers to win the net points scored tie-breaker versus the Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
(who were facing the New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
). The Packers and Panthers were playing during the noon-time slot and the Packers held a net eighteen-point advantage. As the game progressed, the Panthers were winning their game by a sizable margin to the point that they had overtaken the Packers in net points for a brief time. Since both teams were neck and neck for the tie-break advantage, both teams were frantically trying to score as many points as possible despite leading on the scoreboard by a sizable margin. The Cardinals and Saints also tried to score frantically as the game progressed to stop their opponents from gaining the net points advantage. Ultimately, the Packers prevailed in net points by +11. In the end however, the Cowboys won their afternoon contest against the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
to claim the final playoff spot and thus eliminate the Packers from playoff contention. Over a 26-minute period (from 2:51 pm to 3:17 pm) Favre led the Packers on a 99-yard touchdown drive utilizing a hurry-up offense
The hurry-up offense is an American football offensive style, which has two different but related forms in which the offensive team avoids delays between plays. The hurry-up, no-huddle offense (HUNH) refers to avoiding or shortening the huddle t ...
despite leading their game 35–17 culminating on a 32-yard touchdown pass to Bill Schroeder, and then shortly thereafter threw a 43-yard pass down to the one-yard line to set up another score. The Packers won their game 49–24 and the Panthers won their game 45–13.
On March 1, 2001, Favre signed a 10-year contract extension worth around $100 million.
In the regular-season finale of 2001, Favre was the target of minor controversy when, in a game against the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
at Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and primarily hosted sporting events and ...
, he was sacked by the Giants defensive end Michael Strahan
Michael Anthony Strahan ( ; born November 21, 1971) is an American television host, journalist, and former professional American football, football player. He played his entire 15-year professional career as a defensive end for the New York Gian ...
. It was Strahan's lone sack of the game and gave him the NFL's single–season sack record of 22.5, which topped Mark Gastineau's record of 22 set in 1984. The controversy (Favre fell over unusually easily) has followed Strahan continuously since he set the record. Jim Fassel
James Edward Fassel (August 31, 1949 – June 7, 2021) was an American college and professional football player and coach. He was the head coach of the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) from 1997 to 2003. He was offensive coo ...
, Strahan's coach in 2001, said that when a respected athlete like Strahan gets close to an all-time record, sometimes opponents want him to break it.
By the end of his tenth year in the league as a starter, Favre had thrown 287 touchdown passes, which was more than 100 touchdown passes than the second-ranked quarterback over the same time period (Steve Young
Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Bu ...
, 181 touchdown passes), an NFL record for touchdown pass differential.
Favre and the Packers continued posting positive results through the next few seasons, making the playoffs in both 2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
and 2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
and finishing with 12–4 and 10–6 records. However, they did suffer their first home playoff loss in 2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
, and a heartbreaking playoff loss to the Eagles
Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...
in 2003. Through the 2004 season, the Packers had the longest streak of non-losing seasons (13) in the NFL, despite an 8–8 record under head coach Ray Rhodes, a 9–7 season under head coach Mike Sherman
Michael Francis Sherman (born December 19, 1954) is an American gridiron football coach and former player who most recently was the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was the head coach of the Green B ...
, and no playoff berths in either 1999 or 2000. The streak ended in 2005, with the Packers finishing with a 4–12 record.
Later career and personal tragedies (2003–2006)
One day after his father died of a heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
or stroke
Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
, Favre decided to play in a December 22, 2003, ''Monday Night Football'' game against the Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
. The Packers traveled to Oakland
Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
where Favre passed for four touchdowns in the first half and 399 total yards in a 41–7 victory over the Raiders on international television (even receiving applause from " Raider Nation"). He completed 73.3% of his passes and finished the game with a passer rating
Passer rating (also known as passing efficiency in college football) is a measure of the performance of passers, primarily quarterbacks, in gridiron football. There are two formulas currently in use: one used by both the National Football Leagu ...
of 154.9, having recorded a perfect 158.3 rating with four touchdowns and over 250 yards passing by halftime. Afterwards, Favre said, "I knew that my dad would have wanted me to play. I love him so much and I love this game. It's meant a great deal to me, to my dad, to my family, and I didn't expect this kind of performance. But I know he was watching tonight." After the game, he went to his father's funeral in Pass Christian, Mississippi
Pass Christian (), nicknamed The Pass, is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Gulfport, Mississippi, Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi, Biloxi Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Th ...
. Favre won an ESPY Award
The ESPY Awards (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards, and often referred to as the ESPYs) is an annual American awards show produced by ESPN since 1993, recognizing individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-r ...
for his ''Monday Night Football'' performance.
A notable game in the 2004 season in which Favre and the Packers finished 10–6 was against the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
. During the game, Favre suffered a concussion. He did not receive medical clearance to re-enter the game. Despite the concussion, Favre threw a 28-yard touchdown to Javon Walker on a fourth-down play. Afterwards it was reported that Favre did not remember throwing the touchdown pass. Favre also had two significant touchdown streaks of note during the season. He had completed at least one touchdown pass in 36 consecutive games over the 2002–2004 seasons which at the time was the second-longest streak in NFL history. Also, during the 2004 post-season, he broke Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. ( ; born September 15, 1961) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He played college f ...
's record for consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass in the post season. The Packers' postseason run ended in the Wild Card Round with a loss to the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
.
After the death of his father, a series of events related to Favre's family were reported in the media. In October 2004, ten months after the death of Favre's father, his brother-in-law, Casey Tynes, was killed in an all-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike or quad (if it has four wheels), as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, has a seat ...
accident on Favre's Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
property.
Soon after in 2004, Favre's wife, Deanna Favre, was diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...
. Following aggressive treatment through 2004, she recovered. She created The Deanna Favre Hope Foundation which supports breast cancer education and women's breast imaging and diagnosis services for all women, including those who are medically underserved.[
]
In late August 2005, Favre's family suffered another setback: Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
blew through Mississippi, destroying his family's home there; however, none of his family members were injured. Brett and Deanna's property in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County, Mississippi, Forrest County (where it is the county seat and most populous city) and extending west into Lamar County, Mississippi, Lamar County. The ci ...
, was also extensively damaged by the storm. Favre elected to continue to play in the 2005 season.
For the 2005 season, despite throwing for over 3,000 yards for a record 14th consecutive time, Favre had a below-average season with only 20 touchdown passes and a league-leading 29 interceptions. The loss of guards Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle to free agency
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
along with key injuries to Javon Walker, Ahman Green
Ahman Rashad Green (; born February 16, 1977) is an American former professional football running back who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, earning second-team All ...
, Bubba Franks, among others, hampered Favre and the team. His passer rating was 70.9, 31st in the NFL and the worst single-season rating of his career. After the disappointing season, many speculated that Favre would retire. However, on April 26, 2006, Favre announced that he would remain with the team for the 2006 season. Despite earlier comments that the 2006 season would be his last, Favre announced in a press conference on May 6, 2006, that he had not ruled out the possibility of returning beyond the 2006 season.
In the 2006 season, Favre suffered his first career shutout
In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...
against the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
in a 26–0 loss in week 1. Later in the season, the New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
shut out the Packers in a game where he was injured before halftime and could not complete the game. On September 24, he became just the second quarterback in NFL history to record 400 touchdown passes (Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. ( ; born September 15, 1961) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He played college f ...
being the first). He connected with rookie wide receiver Greg Jennings
Gregory Jennings Jr. (born September 21, 1983) is an American sports television personality and former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with ...
on a 5-yard pass that Jennings turned into a 75-yard touchdown play during a win against the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
. He became the first player ever to complete 5,000 passes in his career. On December 31, 2006, the Packers played their last game of the season, winning 26–7 in the second game against the Chicago Bears. It was his 22nd career win versus the Bears, moving him to an all-time record of 22–8. Overall, Favre finished the 2006 season with 3,885 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions as the Packers finished with an 8–8 record.
Milestone season (2007)
On February 26, 2007, Favre underwent minor arthroscopic ankle surgery in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the head of Green Bay (Lake Michigan), Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the F ...
, to remove a buildup of bone spurs in his left ankle.
Favre began the 2007 season trailing in a number of career NFL passing records. On September 16, 2007, Favre and the Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. They are the third ...
defeated the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
to give Favre his record setting 149th win, passing John Elway
John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is an American former professional football quarterback who spent his entire 16-year career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, he then spent 1 ...
. On September 30, Favre threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Greg Jennings
Gregory Jennings Jr. (born September 21, 1983) is an American sports television personality and former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with ...
in a game against the Vikings
Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...
. This was his 421st NFL touchdown pass, and set a new all-time record, surpassing Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. ( ; born September 15, 1961) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He played college f ...
's 420.
On November 4, 2007, after the Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
33–22, Favre became only the third quarterback to have defeated all 31 other current NFL teams. He joined Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
and Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to do this, just the week after the two of them achieved the accomplishment. On Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory ...
2007, Favre led the Packers to a 37–26 win over the Lions
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the tip of its tail. It is se ...
, and brought the Packers to a 10–1 record. He won the Galloping Gobbler award, given by the broadcasters at Fox to the game's MVP. Favre threw three touchdown passes for his 63rd career game with at least three touchdowns, surpassing Marino's former record of 62.
Favre led the Packers to a 13–3 regular season record, the NFC North
The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and toug ...
championship, and the second seed in the NFC playoffs. Prior to the Packers' Divisional Round game against the Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
, Favre stated his desire to continue playing football for another season. In the Divisional Playoffs, Favre threw three touchdowns as the Packers cruised to a 42–20 victory over the Seahawks at a snowy Lambeau Field. The Packers' season ended the following week when they suffered a 23–20 overtime loss in the NFC Championship Game
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
to the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
(who in turn upset the heavily favored and previously undefeated New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
in Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
). Negotiating sub-zero temperatures, Favre amassed 236 passing yards and two touchdowns, but also threw an interception in overtime that set up the Giants' game-winning field goal. Favre's 90-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Donald Driver in the second quarter was the longest pass in Packers playoff history, and it extended Favre's NFL record for consecutive postseason games with a touchdown pass to 18. Favre stated after the game that he would make a decision more quickly than he has in the past regarding whether he would return for another season.
Favre's milestone 2007 season culminated with his selection to the 2008 Pro Bowl
The 2008 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2007 NFL season, 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by NFL on Fox, Fox and b ...
as the starting quarterback for the NFC, but an ankle injury forced him to withdraw from the game.
Retirements and returns (2008)
Beginning near the end of the 2006 season, word began to surface that Favre was considering retirement. In fact, playing at Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National ...
against the arch-rival Bears in the season finale, Favre was given a standing ovation in the closing seconds of the Packer victory as a show of respect from Chicago fans to their longtime nemesis. Moments later at the postgame interview, he gave a tearful interview with an NBC Sports
NBC Sports is an American programming division for NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, that is responsible for sports broadcasts on their broadcast network NBC, the Cable television, cable channels NBC owns, and on Peacock (streaming service) ...
correspondent, where he admitted his future was still questionable. However, after much debate, he returned for the 2007 season, during which his future was once again in doubt and an oft-discussed topic, with many in the media speculating that if the Packers made the Super Bowl, Favre would indeed retire and hand the reins to the unproven but talented Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears foo ...
, who was drafted two years earlier as Favre's heir-apparent
An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...
. Ultimately, the Packers fell in the NFC Championship to the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
.
According to Bob McGinn in the ''Journal Sentinel'', after the conclusion of the 2007 season, "Just about everyone who counted in the football department reached the conclusion that Favre could never win another championship. His dismal playoff record in the past decade couldn't be overlooked. And the Packers concluded that it would be the mother of all mistakes if Aaron Rodgers got away without being properly evaluated as a starter. Favre had one chance, and one chance only, to salvage his career in Green Bay. He had to commit wholeheartedly for another season by early March. One could argue that the Packers erred by asking Favre for an answer that early. But having been hung out to dry by Favre too often in the past, they were in no mood for drama." There was also miscommunication between the Packers and Favre, as admitted by General Manager Ted Thompson
Ted Thompson (January 17, 1953 – January 20, 2021) was an American professional American football, football player and executive in the National Football League (NFL). He was the General manager (American football), general manager of the Gr ...
, "when Favre decided in March that he was leaning toward playing, the organization wasn't quick toward embracing him".
On March 4, 2008, Favre formally announced his retirement. Although Favre stated that he had been willing to play another year, he felt that another season would only be successful if he led his team to another Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
victory. He added the chances for a Super Bowl win were small, and that he was not up for the challenge. At his press conference, Favre openly wept about leaving the NFL. He stated that his decision, regardless of what was being said in the media, had nothing to do with what the Packers did or didn't do. Seeming to contradict statements made by his agent, Bus Cook, Favre said that his decision to retire was based on the fact that he did not want to play anymore. He said during the conference, "I know I can play, but I don't think I want to. And that's really what it comes down to."[
On July 2, 2008, it was reported that Favre was in contact with the Packers about a possible return to the team. On July 11, 2008, Favre sent a letter to the Packers asking for his unconditional release to allow him to play for another NFL team. Packers general manager ]Ted Thompson
Ted Thompson (January 17, 1953 – January 20, 2021) was an American professional American football, football player and executive in the National Football League (NFL). He was the General manager (American football), general manager of the Gr ...
announced he would not grant Favre an unconditional release and reaffirmed the organization's commitment to Aaron Rodgers as its new quarterback. Complicating matters was Favre's unique contract giving him the leverage to void any potential trade by not reporting to the camp of the team he might be traded to if the Packers elect to go that route.
Favre spoke publicly for the first time about his potential comeback in a July 14, 2008, interview with Greta Van Susteren on the Fox News Channel
The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American multinational conservative news and political commentary television channel and website based in New York City, U.S. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is ow ...
's ''On the Record with Greta Van Susteren
''On the Record'' is an American news television program on Fox News hosted by the lawyer Greta Van Susteren. Prior to the show's cancellation after the 2016 election, the show was hosted by the television journalist and political commentator, ...
''. In the interview, Favre said he was "guilty of retiring early", that he was "never fully committed" to retirement, and that he was pressured by the Packers to make a decision before the NFL draft
The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...
and the start of the free agent signing period. Favre disputed the notion that he does not want to play for Green Bay and said that while he understands the organization has decided to move on, they should now allow him to do the same. He made clear that he would not return to the Packers as a backup and reiterated his desire to be released rather than traded, which would allow him the freedom to play for a competitive team. Favre also accused the Packers of being dishonest, wishing the team would have been straightforward with him and the public.
In the second part of the interview, which aired on July 15, Favre expressed his frustration with Packers management, spoke of his sympathy for successor Aaron Rodgers's predicament, and affirmed he is 100 percent committed to playing football in 2008.
FOXSports
Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The name originates from Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States, which in turn derives its name from Fox Fi ...
.com's Jay Glazer reported on July 16, 2008, that the Packers filed tampering charges against the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
with the league office, alleging improper communication between Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell
Darrell Wayne Bevell (born January 6, 1970) is an American football coach who is the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as offensive coordinator for ...
and Favre, although one source suggested that Favre may have been in contact with Vikings head coach Brad Childress
Brad Childress (born June 27, 1956) is a former American football coach. He worked for over 40 years as a coach for various college programs and National Football League (NFL) franchises. He was the offensive coordinator for Wisconsin from 1994 ...
. After an investigation, NFL Commissioner
The commissioner of the National Football League is the chief executive officer of the National Football League (NFL). The position was created in 1941. The current commissioner is Roger Goodell, who assumed office on September 1, 2006.
Until 1 ...
Roger Goodell
Roger Stokoe Goodell (born February 19, 1959) is an American businessman who has served as the National Football League Commissioner, commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) since 2006.
Goodell began his NFL career in 1982 as an admi ...
ruled there had been no violation of tampering rules.
Packers team president Mark Murphy met with Favre on July 30 in Hattiesburg, Miss. with the offer of a $20 million marketing agreement, which was "viewed nationally as a bribe to get Favre to stay retired".
Favre formally filed for reinstatement with the NFL on July 29, 2008, and his petition was granted by Commissioner Goodell, effective August 4, 2008. Favre then flew to Green Bay to report to Packers training camp. After a lengthy meeting with head coach Mike McCarthy
Michael John McCarthy (born November 10, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach who most recently was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) from 2020 Dallas Cowboys season, 2020 t ...
and general manager Ted Thompson, however, both sides agreed it was time for Favre and the organization to part ways. McCarthy sensed Favre was not in "the right mind-set" to resume playing for the Packers, while Favre felt that his relationship with Packers management had deteriorated to the point that a return to the team would be untenable.
The Packers had announced plans to retire Favre's #4 jersey in the 2008 season opener. Those plans were dropped when he announced plans to return to the NFL. In March 2009, the Packers indicated that the team still intends to retire Favre's number, but due to the circumstances surrounding his departure from the team, no timeline had been set. Favre's #4 jersey was finally retired in 2015.
New York Jets (2008)
After negotiations with both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
and New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
, the Packers traded Favre to the Jets on August 7, 2008, in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft
The 2009 NFL draft was the 74th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft c ...
with performance escalation.
In his Jets debut, Favre passed for 194 yards and two touchdowns in a 20–14 victory over the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
. In week 4, he threw six touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
, a personal best and one shy of the NFL record for a single game. This performance led to him being selected as the FedEx Air Player of the Week. By week 12, the Jets had compiled an 8–3 record, including a 34–13 win over the previously undefeated Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
. However, the Jets lost four of the last five games of the season, including the final game against the Miami Dolphins, who had acquired quarterback Chad Pennington
James Chadwick Pennington (born June 26, 1976) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He is currently the head football coach of the Sayre School in Lexington, Ke ...
after he was released from the Jets to make room for Favre. In those five games, Favre threw eight interceptions and only two touchdown passes, bringing his season total to 22 of each. Favre had complained of shoulder pain and had an MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and rad ...
performed on December 29, 2008, which revealed a torn biceps tendon in his right shoulder. After the 2008 season had ended, in mid January 2009, Favre told Jets General Manager
A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
Mike Tannenbaum, "it may be time to look in a different direction" regarding the quarterback position. On February 11, 2009, Favre informed the Jets that he was retiring after 18 seasons. He remained part of the Jets organization until April 28, 2009, when the Jets released Favre from his contract, thus allowing him to sign anywhere he wanted. By May 2009, he was officially cut from the Jets Reserve/Retired list. In September 2009, it was revealed that the NFL learned that the Jets were aware that Favre injured his arm in the 11th game of the 2008 season, and fined the Jets $125,000 for not reporting the injury in any of the Jets' five final games.
Minnesota Vikings (2009–2010)
NFC Championship run (2009)
After an offseason of speculation, Favre officially signed with the Minnesota Vikings on August 18, 2009. He made his Vikings debut in the season opener against the Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
. In the 34–20 victory, he passed for 110 yards and one passing touchdown. In week 4, Favre had his first game against his former team. In the home game against the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
, he had 271 passing yards and three passing touchdowns in the 30–23 victory. With the victory over the Packers, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to defeat every one of the league's 32 franchises since the NFL first expanded to 32 franchises in 2002. Favre helped lead the Vikings to a 6–0 start going into week 7. The Vikings suffered their first setback against the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
in a 27–17 loss. week 8 was a significant one for Favre as he faced off against the Packers at Lambeau Field for his first game returning to Green Bay. He passed for 244 yards and four passing touchdowns in the 38–26 victory. In a week 12 victory over the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
, he passed for a season-high 392 yards and three touchdowns in the 36–10 victory. In the regular season finale, he passed for 316 yards and four touchdowns in the 44–7 victory over the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
. Favre finished the 2009 season with 4,202 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Overall, Favre had a landmark season in which he surpassed former Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall for consecutive starts at one position, with 291, and surpassed Dan Marino's previous record for four-touchdown games, and was named to his 11th Pro Bowl. The Vikings finished with a 12–4 record and earned a first-round bye. In the Divisional Round against the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
, he recorded 234 passing yards and four passing touchdowns in the 34–3 victory. They advanced to the NFC Championship, ultimately losing in overtime to the eventual Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) c ...
champion New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
. He passed for 316 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in the 31–28 loss. Despite the loss, Favre set playoff records for pass completions and passing yards previously held by Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Co ...
.
Final season (2010)
On August 3, 2010, NBC Sports reported the confirmation of Favre returning to the Vikings but saying that the 2010 season would be his final season. An announcement was given on August 17, 2010, confirming his return to the team. That season, Favre achieved two milestones. He threw for his 500th touchdown and 70,000th yard against the New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
. On November 7, 2010, in a game against the Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
, Favre threw for a career-high 446 yards while rallying the Vikings from a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to win in overtime. On December 5, 2010, in a game against the Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
, Favre was hit by Bills linebacker Arthur Moats while making a throw, causing him to sustain a sprain of the AC joint in his right shoulder. Favre missed the rest of the game and was replaced by Tarvaris Jackson
Tarvaris D'Andre Jackson (April 21, 1983 – April 12, 2020) was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). Jackson played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Alabama State ...
, who helped lead the Vikings to victory despite throwing three interceptions.
On December 13, 2010, due to his sprained shoulder, Favre was marked inactive for the game against the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
ending his consecutive regular-season start streak at 297. Favre started a total of 321 games including post-season appearances. On December 20, 2010, while playing the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
outside at TCF Bank Stadium
Huntington Bank Stadium (formerly known as TCF Bank Stadium) is an outdoor stadium located on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The stadium opened in 2009 after three years of construction. It is ...
due to the collapse of the roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Favre sustained a concussion
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...
after being sacked by Bears defensive end Corey Wootton. As a rattled Favre was helped to his feet by Vikings' athletic trainer Eric Sugarman, he asked, "Suge, what are the Bears doing here?". This would be his final appearance in an NFL game.
On January 2, 2011, Favre was unable to play against the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
in the final game of the regular NFL season due to his inability to pass NFL-mandated post-concussion tests. In a press conference immediately following the game, Favre announced his intention to retire from professional football. On January 17, 2011, Favre officially filed his retirement papers with the NFL.
Other health issues
Favre was a heavy drinker, which at one point led his wife Deanna to consult divorce lawyers. In 1999 he checked himself into rehab and later quit drinking.
In 2013, Favre was asked to consider returning to the NFL to play for the injury-plagued St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
. He turned down the offer, telling WSPZ radio in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, that he has had memory loss and that he feared it was related to the multiple concussions
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brie ...
he suffered throughout his career. He was previously asked in a 2009 interview with NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
how many times he had played with a concussion that with the new standards would have resulted in him sitting out. 'A lot', he replied.
In 2021, Favre was featured in a public service announcement (PSA) urging parents not to allow their children to play tackle football under age 14. In an interview with ''Today
Today (archaically to-day) may refer to:
* The current day and calendar date
** Today is between and , subject to the local time zone
* Now, the time that is perceived directly, present
* The current, present era
Arts, entertainment and m ...
'', Favre stated that while he is in good health, he often questions how healthy he really is due to fears about the long-term effects of his playing career and that he is unsure whether the cognitive lapses he sometimes experiences are a natural effect of his advancing age or a sign that he may have chronic traumatic encephalopathy
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets wor ...
(CTE).
On September 24, 2024, while testifying to Congress about his potential misuse of taxpayer money, Favre revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...
.
Post-NFL career analyst work
Favre was the analyst for his alma mater, Southern Miss, when they played the Rice Owls
The Rice Owls are the sports teams representing Houston's Rice University in college sports. The name comes from the owls in Rice's crest. Rice participates in NCAA Division I athletics. A member of the American Athletic Conference, Rice sponsors ...
on October 1, 2011. He later joined the NFL Network
NFL Network (occasionally abbreviated on-air as NFLN) is an American sports-oriented pay television network owned by the National Football League NTP and is part of NFL Media, which also includes NFL.com, NFL Films, NFL Mobile, NFL Now and N ...
for pregame coverage of Super Bowl XLVII
Super Bowl XLVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Ravens and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
. It has also been reported that Favre has turned down repeated offers from the NFL Network to become an on-air analyst.
Career achievements
Honors and awards
Favre has received several awards including:
* 3× Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...
(MVP) (1995, 1996, and 1997; the last shared with Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is an American former professional football running back who played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and in rushin ...
)
* NFL Offensive Player of the Year
The National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award is an annual American football award given by various organizations to the National Football League (NFL) player who is considered the top offensive player during the regular season. O ...
(1995)
* 11× Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
selection (1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
, 1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
, 1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
–1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
, 2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
–2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
, 2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
–2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
)
* 3× First-team All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
selection (1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
–1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
)
* 3× Second-team All-Pro selection (2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, 2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
, 2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
)
* NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
The NFL 1990s All-Decade Team was chosen by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The team was composed of outstanding performers in the National Football League in the 1990s.
The squad consists of first- and second-team offensive, defensive a ...
* NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
The National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team was voted on by a panel consisting of media members, former players and league personnel in 2019 to honor the greatest players of the first 100 years of the National Football League (NFL ...
* Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
class of 2016
* Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame is a team-specific hall of fame honoring players, coaches, executives and other contributors to the history and success of the Green Bay Packers, an American football team in the National Football League (NFL). ...
class of 2015
Records and milestones
Favre owns several NFL records including, but not limited to:
* Most consecutive games started "Iron Man" streak (September 27, 1992 – December 5, 2010): 297 (321 including playoffs)
* Most pass interceptions: 336
Favre owns a number of team records with the Packers, Vikings, and Jets, including having printed his name into almost every passing category in the annals of Green Bay Packers history.
Favre is the holder of several firsts in NFL history, including the only quarterback to win three consecutive NFL most valuable player awards, first quarterback to defeat all of the league's 32 franchises, and the first quarterback to win a playoff game over age 40.
In addition, Favre set a number of college records with Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bac ...
.
Cold weather success
Favre has been known as the most successful cold weather quarterback of all time, having compiled a record of 44–17 in games when the game time temperature was below 40 degrees Fahrenheit
The Fahrenheit scale () is a scale of temperature, temperature scale based on one proposed in 1724 by the German-Polish physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736). It uses the degree Fahrenheit (symbol: °F) as the unit. Several accou ...
. He had gained the reputation for success in cold weather when the Packers won with Favre as the starter in his first 35 games at home when the game time temperature was 34 degrees Fahrenheit or less.
NFL rivalry records
Brett Favre had significant stretches of success against his division rivals having won an NFL record 11 consecutive road games against the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
, and a perfect 19–0 won-lost record against the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
at home, also an NFL record.
Consecutive starts streak
Since first being named the starter of the Green Bay Packers before playing the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
on September 27, 1992, Favre had never missed a game spanning over consecutive seasons. He holds the record for the most consecutive starts by any player in the NFL with 297 (321 including playoffs), which is one of four quarterback streaks of at least 200 consecutive games in NFL history. Favre has stated that of all the records he set, he is most proud of the consecutive starts accomplishment.
Favre failed to finish a game due to injury on only eight occasions since taking control of the Packers as quarterback. Significant injuries suffered by Favre during the streak includes a first-degree shoulder separation, deep thigh bruise, severely bruised left hip, severely sprained left ankle, wind knocked out coupled with coughing up blood, sprained right thumb, right elbow tendinitis, left mid-foot sprain, sprained lateral collateral ligament of the left knee, broken left thumb, softball-sized bruise of the left hamstring, mild concussion, sprained right hand, injured ulnar nerve of the right elbow, bone spurs on the left ankle, torn right biceps, pulled groin, stress fracture of the left ankle coupled with an avulsion fracture of calcaneus, and a sprained sternoclavicular joint of the right shoulder.
During Favre's consecutive starts streak, 238 other quarterbacks have started in the NFL, 17 of them being back-ups to Favre at one point.[
The ]Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
has as an exhibit displaying the jersey Favre wore during his record-breaking 117th consecutive start as a quarterback, and a section of their website devoted to what the Hall of Fame calls an "Iron man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
".
In 2009, Favre surpassed defensive end Jim Marshall for starts at any position with his record-breaking 271st start as a quarterback as the Vikings played the Lions
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the tip of its tail. It is se ...
. His streak ended at 297, with the last start in the streak coming on December 5, 2010, against the Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
. Favre was unable to start the Vikings' December 13 game against the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
due to a shoulder injury, despite the game being delayed for a day because of the collapse of the Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (commonly called the Metrodome) was a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It opened in 1982 as a replacement for Metropolitan Stadium, the former home of the National Football League's (NFL) ...
roof.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
Retirement speculation
Favre had speculated on retiring, or returning to the NFL many times during his career and following the end of his career in 2011:
* 2002: In September, sportswriter Peter King conducted an interview with Favre during spring training. Favre told him that he missed home and was thinking more and more about retirement. When then–head coach Mike Sherman
Michael Francis Sherman (born December 19, 1954) is an American gridiron football coach and former player who most recently was the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was the head coach of the Green B ...
told the players they could have off on Saturday and Sunday, Favre replied "I wish I could be on my lawn mower
A lawn mower (also known as a grass cutter or simply mower, also often spelled lawnmower) is a device utilizing one or more revolving blades (or a reel) to cut a lawn, grass surface to an even height. The height of the cut grass may be fixed by ...
back home."
* 2003: Favre was constantly asked about retirement throughout the early part of the year. Favre jokingly responded by saying "I can't even remember how the whole retirement thing started, but whoever started it needs to be shot."
* 2005: After the Packers got off to a slow start, rumors that Favre might retire started to escalate. Favre responded by saying "At 0–3, I think most people would say 'Oh, he's gone after this year, or they won't even want him back.'...I don't even think about when that time might come."
* 2006: In an interview with ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
in January, after the Packers had finished with a 4–12 record, Favre admitted that if he had to make a decision right away he would not come back. He went on to say "There's other days, I go, 'What if it's crunch time, two minutes left, do you want the ball?' I don't know if I do." In March, Favre hears Phil Simms
Phillip Martin Simms (born November 3, 1955) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the New York Giants. After playing college football for the Morehead Sta ...
say on Sirius Radio that as long as Favre can physically play the game, he should. Shortly thereafter, Favre confirms he would return to play. After the Packers defeated the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
the last game of the season 26–7, Favre choked up during an interview with Andrea Kremer
Andrea Kremer (born February 25, 1959) is a multi-Emmy Award-winning American television sports journalist. She previously called ''Thursday Night Football'' games for Amazon Prime Video. Kremer is currently the Chief correspondent for the NFL N ...
by saying "If today's my last game, I want to remember it. It's tough. It's tough. I'll miss these guys. I'll miss this game. I just want every one to know that...I didn't plan on doing this. Way to put me on the spot." Asked if he was indeed going to retire, Favre responded "We'll see. We'll see. I don't want to say anything right now." After the game, a Packers teammate said that Favre was just as emotional in a speech after the Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
game in 2005 at Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field () is an outdoor athletic stadium in the East North Central states, north central United States, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The home field of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), it opened in 1957 Green ...
when he was all but certain he was going to retire.
* 2007: In February, Favre told the '' Biloxi Sun Herald'' that he plans to come back for another season with the Packers.
* 2008: In early March, Favre announced that he is retiring from the Green Bay Packers. At a news conference he said "I know I can play, but I don't think I want to. It's been a great career for me, but it's over. As they say, all good things must come to an end. I look forward to whatever the future may hold for me." Later in the month Favre has second thoughts and wants to return. According to the ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper and also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely read. It was purchased by the G ...
'', Favre backed out of a meeting with Packers management two days before re-entry talks were to begin. In April, Sam Farmer from the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' reported that Favre's agent Bus Cook was making inquiries to other teams about Favre. Favre responded by saying "I have no idea where that came from, but it certainly didn't come from me. I'm happy about my decision and I haven't once said 'I wonder if I made the wrong decision.' I know it's the right one. It's kind of funny. Even when I'm retired, they won't let me stay retired." Also in April, the Packers placed Favre on the Reserve-Retired list and planned to have Favre's number retired during the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. In June, Favre said he told head coach Mike McCarthy
Michael John McCarthy (born November 10, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach who most recently was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) from 2020 Dallas Cowboys season, 2020 t ...
he wanted to come back to the team. He said "When he picked up the phone again after he dropped it, he said, 'Oh, God, Brett. You're putting us in a tight spot. He said, 'Brett, playing here is not an option.' Those were his exact, exact words." In July, Favre sent a letter requesting his release from the Packers. A couple months earlier Favre contacted Mike McCarthy about coming out of retirement and was "rebuffed" according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report. Then a report came in from ESPN that said that Favre had wanted to come out of retirement but the Packers were reluctant to take him back. The Packers refused to give Favre an unconditional release. A few days later, Favre had an interview with Greta Van Susteren of Fox News
The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...
where he accused general manager Ted Thompson
Ted Thompson (January 17, 1953 – January 20, 2021) was an American professional American football, football player and executive in the National Football League (NFL). He was the General manager (American football), general manager of the Gr ...
of forcing him to make a decision on his return to the team too quickly. Two days after the interview, the Packers filed tampering charges with the NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
front office charging that the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
had inappropriate contact with Favre. The Packers then offered Favre a retirement package of $25 million marketing agreement to remain retired. This offer was rejected and Favre was subsequently traded to the New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
.
* 2009: In February, Favre said he retired although his agent Bus Cook asked for his release from the New York Jets. After the Jets released him in April, Bus Cook e-mailed Jarrett Bell of ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' that "He's retired, working on his farm in Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
." In May, Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress
Brad Childress (born June 27, 1956) is a former American football coach. He worked for over 40 years as a coach for various college programs and National Football League (NFL) franchises. He was the offensive coordinator for Wisconsin from 1994 ...
set up a meeting with Favre to discuss him possibly playing with the team. In July, Childress said Favre would not be coming out of retirement. However, in August Favre announced he would come back and play for the Vikings.
* 2010: On February 7, Favre appeared in a second quarter Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) c ...
ad for Hyundai
Hyundai is a former South Korean industrial conglomerate ("''chaebol''"), which was restructured into the following groups:
* Hyundai Group, parts of the former conglomerate which have not been divested
** Hyundai Asan, a real estate construction ...
parodying his retirement indecisiveness. In the ad, set after the 2020 NFL season, a grayed 50-year-old Favre accepts the season MVP award and ponders retirement, but cannot commit one way or the other. In April, Favre indicated that if it were not for his Vikings teammates and fans, it would be easy to retire. In early August, Favre's ankle (which was injured during the 2009 playoffs) had not responded after surgery and rehabilitation. As a result, he informed the team that he would not be coming back for another season. However, two weeks later he told teammates Jared Allen, Steve Hutchinson and he was coming back for another season.
* 2011: In January, Favre filed retirement papers with the NFL. In December, a report from ESPN-Chicago indicated that Favre would be open to coming back from retirement if the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
were interested. However, head coach Lovie Smith
Lovie Lee Smith (born May 8, 1958) is an American football coach. He has served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL) and the Illinois Fighting Illini. Smith has be ...
and Favre denied the report. Favre said "In spite of reports about playing with various teams, I'm enjoying retirement with my family and have no plans to play football."
* 2013: Favre's agent Bus Cook indicated early in the season that Favre could still play in the NFL. When asked about what his agent said, Favre responded "I am (in shape), but I am no way considering playing... The stress level was much, much more (when I played)... The demands are, don't get me wrong, I want to win, but it's not a job." A few weeks later, in late October, the St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
called Favre after their starting quarterback Sam Bradford
Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
Bradford attended Putnam City North High School, where he starred ...
was lost for the season, but Favre declined their offer to bring him out of retirement.
* 2017: Following Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears foo ...
breaking his collarbone week 6 against the Vikings, former ESPN reporter Ed Werder
Ed Werder (born May 3, 1960) is an American sports reporter. He is the Dallas-based bureau reporter for ESPN, Werder is a reporter for the network's NFL coverage, and contributes to shows such as ''SportsCenter'', '' NFL Live'', '' Sunday NFL ...
asked Favre if he would come back for the rest of the 2017 season. "Absolutely not," Favre said.
Personal life
Family
Favre married Deanna Tynes on July 14, 1996. Together, they have two daughters, Brittany (born 1989) and Breleigh (born 1999). While Favre was still playing, Brittany gave birth to his first grandchild. The NFL stated that at the time it did not know of any other active players with grandchildren.
Favre's mother, Bonita, helps manage his holdings in agriculture and real estate, handle his endorsements and appearances, and oversee his charity work. Brett and Bonita Favre released a book in 2004 titled ''Favre'' () which discusses their family as well as the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
, including the ''Monday Night Football
''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...
'' game that followed the death of Brett's father Irvin Favre.
Favre's nephew, Dylan, played quarterback for the Cedar Rapids Titans
The Cedar Rapids Titans are a professional indoor American football, indoor football team based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They are current members of American Indoor Football. The Titans first joined the Indoor Football League (IFL) as an expansi ...
of the Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional indoor American football league in the United States. The league comprises 14 teams, divided equally between the Eastern Conference (EC) and Western Conference ...
in 2016 after playing in college at Mississippi State
Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States. It is classified among "R ...
, Pearl River Community College
Pearl River Community College is a public community college in Poplarville, Mississippi. It was founded as Pearl River County Agricultural High School in 1909 and became the first junior college in Mississippi in 1921.
Residents of Hancock, ...
, and the University of Tennessee-Martin.
High school coaching
In 2012, Favre became the offensive coordinator for Oak Grove High School. Favre won his first game as part of the Oak Grove coaching staff by a score of 64–6. In December 2013, with Favre still serving as the offensive coordinator, Oak Grove High School won the Class 6A Mississippi high school state championship. In May 2014, it was announced that Favre would continue to help out at Oak Grove, but would no longer be offensive coordinator.
Charitable work
Favre established the Brett Favre Fourward Foundation in 1996. In conjunction with his annual golf tournament, celebrity softball game and fundraising dinners, the foundation has donated more than $2 million to charities in his home state of Mississippi as well as to those in his adopted state of Wisconsin.
Favre is involved with youth who are ill. Favre was awarded the ''Chris Greicius Celebrity Award'' from the Make a Wish Foundation. He is also known to respond to requests made to his foundation regarding youth with serious illnesses such as cancer.
Business
In 1999, Favre worked with NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
driver Dale Jarrett
Dale Arnold Jarrett (born November 26, 1956) is an American former race car driver and current racing commentator for NBC. He is best known for winning the Daytona 500 three times (in 1993, 1996, and 2000) and winning the NASCAR Winston Cup Series ...
to operate ''Jarrett/Favre Motorsports'' in the Busch Series
The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...
, which lasted two seasons.
The Favre family once owned and operated the ''Brett Favre's Steakhouse'' and later changed names to the "Hall of Fame Chophouse", located in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the head of Green Bay (Lake Michigan), Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the F ...
, and as of 2018 is closed.
In 2013, Favre joined the Board of Directors of Sqor, a sport social media platform. Favre's role includes product ambassador, sports insights, and advising Sqor on business interests with teams, leagues and sports conferences.
Entertainment
Favre made a cameo appearance in the 1998 romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
film ''There's Something About Mary
''There's Something About Mary'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by the Farrelly brothers, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ed Decter and John J. Strauss. The film features Cameron Diaz as the title character, while Ben S ...
'' as Cameron Diaz
Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. Prolific in both comedy and drama, Cameron Diaz filmography, her films have grossed over $3 billion in the U.S. box-office. Her output of romantic comedies in the late 1990s a ...
's character's former love interest.
Endorsements
In the past, Favre has been a spokesperson for multiple companies, including Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...
, Snapper, Remington, Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosen ...
, Prilosec
Omeprazole, sold under the brand names Prilosec and Losec, among others, is a medication used in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease, and Zollinger–Ellison syndrome. It is also used to prevent upper ...
, Sensodyne
Sensodyne is a brand name of toothpaste and mouthwash targeted at people with sensitive teeth. Sensodyne is owned by Haleon and is marketed under the name Shumitect in Japan.
Effectiveness
Sensodyne toothpastes work in different ways depending ...
, MasterCard, Wrangler, Bergstrom Automotive, and Hyundai
Hyundai is a former South Korean industrial conglomerate ("''chaebol''"), which was restructured into the following groups:
* Hyundai Group, parts of the former conglomerate which have not been divested
** Hyundai Asan, a real estate construction ...
. He has appeared in television advertisements for Copper Fit.
Politics
Prior to the Mississippi runoff election
The two-round system (TRS or 2RS), sometimes called ballotage, top-two runoff, or two-round plurality, is a single-winner electoral system which aims to elect a member who has support of the majority of voters. The two-round system involves one ...
on June 24, 2014, Favre endorsed incumbent Republican U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
Thad Cochran in his successful re-election campaign against Republican primary opponent State Senator
A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
History
There are typically fewer state senators than there ...
Chris McDaniel, a " tea party" favorite. Favre has stated that he does not identify with a specific political party.
For the 2020 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala H ...
, Favre endorsed President Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
for re-election. In a 2023 interview with Jason Whitlock
Jason Lee Whitlock (born April 27, 1967) is a former American sports columnist who currently hosts a program for the conservative media company Blaze Media titled ''Fearless with Jason Whitlock''. Jason was a sports columnist at ''The Kansas ...
, Favre also said that Trump 'had the country in a better place', while questioning President Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
and his leadership. He accompanied Trump at a campaign event in Wisconsin for the 2024 election.
Religion
Favre is a Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
; he credits his faith for helping him face adversity throughout his life.
Controversies
Violations of NFL's personal conduct policies
In 1996, Favre was temporarily banned by the NFL from drinking alcohol
Alcohol may refer to:
Common uses
* Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds
* Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life
** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages
** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...
, after he admitted he was addicted to Vicodin
Hydrocodone/paracetamol (also known as hydrocodone/acetaminophen) is the combination of the pain medications hydrocodone and paracetamol (acetaminophen). It is used to treat moderate to severe pain. It is taken by mouth. Recreational use is ...
, and spent 46 days at a drug rehab clinic before the start of the season. His condition was serious enough that he had a potentially deadly seizure.
Sexting allegations and investigation
In 2010, the NFL investigated Favre for allegedly sexting
Sexting is sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit messages, photographs, or videos, primarily between mobile phones. It may also include the use of a computer or any digital device. The term was first popularized early in the 21s ...
and leaving inappropriate voice messages for Jets "Gameday host" Jenn Sterger during the 2008 season. According to the NFL, forensic analysis
Forensic science combines principles of law and science to investigate criminal activity. Through crime scene investigations and laboratory analysis, forensic scientists are able to link suspects to evidence. An example is determining the time and ...
failed to prove Favre sent the objectionable photographs to Sterger. Favre was found not to be in violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy, but was fined $50,000 for failing to cooperate with the investigation.
Mississippi welfare funds scandal
In 2020, Favre's involvement with the development and promotion of a concussion treatment drug, Prevasol, by the Prevacus corporation, came under scrutiny. The nonprofit Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC) received $2.5 million in federal grant funds diverted from Mississippi's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF ) is a federal assistance program of the United States. It began on July 1, 1997, and succeeded the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, providing cash assistance to indigent Ame ...
welfare funds (TANF), as well as tens of millions in public funds as an element of the scheme. The Mississippi state auditor has termed the scheme "the largest public embezzlement case in state history". A grand jury in Hinds County indicted MCEC founder, Nancy New, and her son Zach in the scheme. Favre had introduced MCEC's founders to top state welfare officials. Former Governor Phil Bryant is also involved in the scandal.
No-show speaking fees
On May 4, 2020, an audit in Favre's home state of Mississippi alleged that the state's Department of Human Services misspent $94 million intended for at-need residents, including $1.1 million paid out to Favre's company for two speaking appearances he did not make. The Mississippi auditor later announced that Favre intended to repay that money. On October 12, 2021, the Mississippi State Auditor notified Favre that he could face a civil lawsuit if he did not pay the state $828,000. Favre paid $600,000 on October 26, 2021. The Mississippi State Auditor said Favre still owed $228,000 in interest and referred the matter to the state attorney general's office. Favre was questioned by the FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
over the misappropriated funds. His lawyer has stated that Favre did not know the money was misappropriated from funds used to assist poor families and has not been charged with a crime in these matters.
Diversion of funds for volleyball facility and biotech venture
A lawsuit filed by the state of Mississippi alleges Favre orchestrated the diversion of federal welfare funds to non-welfare related causes.
On September 13, 2022, ''Mississippi Today
Mississippi Today is a nonprofit online newsroom headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi. Launched in 2016, it was founded by former Netscape president Jim Barksdale and his wife Donna, alongside former NBC chairman Andrew Lack, to address the ...
'' published text messages between Favre and former Mississippi governor Phil Bryant showing Favre's involvement in a plan to divert $5 million of the money toward a cause championed by Favre, a new volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bac ...
, his alma mater and where his daughter played volleyball. The text messages had been entered as evidence as part of a civil lawsuit. In one of the texts, Favre asks, "If you were to pay me is there anyway the media can find out where it came from and how much?"
Favre helped arrange for $2 million of the funds to be invested in a biotech startup in which he had already invested.
Civil lawsuit
In August 2023, the Mississippi Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Mississippi is the highest court in the state of Mississippi. It was established in 1818 per the terms of the first constitution of the state and was known as the High Court of Errors and Appeals from 1832 to 1869. The court ...
ordered for Favre to stand as a defendant in the welfare funds lawsuit. On December 11, 2023, Favre took part in a deposition, with attorneys for the State of Mississippi interrogating him for more than nine hours.
References
Notes
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Favre, Brett
1969 births
Living people
21st-century Roman Catholics
American Conference Pro Bowl players
American football quarterbacks
American people of Choctaw descent
American people of French descent
American people of Swiss descent
American philanthropists
American Roman Catholics
Atlanta Falcons players
Catholics from Mississippi
Catholics from Wisconsin
Coaches of American football from Mississippi
Green Bay Packers players
High school football coaches in Mississippi
Louisiana Creole people
Minnesota Vikings players
Mississippi Republicans
NASCAR team owners
National Conference Pro Bowl players
NFL Most Valuable Player winners
NFL Offensive Player of the Year winners
NFL players with retired numbers
Native American players of American football
New York Jets players
People from Kiln, Mississippi
Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
Southern Miss Golden Eagles football players
Players of American football from Green Bay, Wisconsin
Players of American football from Gulfport, Mississippi
Players of American football from Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
People with Parkinson's disease