- Joined: 2015
- Quarterback: 1992-2007
- Height: 6 feet 2 inches; Weight: 222 pounds
- College: University of Southern Mississippi, 1987-90
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: 2016
- NFL All-Centennial Team: 2019
- NFL All-Decade Team: 1990s
- Associated Press NFL MVP: 1995, '96, '97
- Associated Press All-Pro Team (since 1940): 1995, 1996, 1997
- Pro Bowl selections (1950-2022): 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007
During his 16 seasons with the Packers, Brett Favre may have been more admired by other legends than any other player in franchise history. The accolades continued to pour in from everyone, including current and future Pro Football Hall of Famers, teammates, opposing coaches and players, and even after his retirement.
For example, here's what Hall of Fame teammate Leroy Butler and head coach Mike Holmgren had to say about Favre's leadership:
“In my opinion, he was the greatest teammate of all time, probably the greatest teammate in all of sports, because he wasn't fazed by skin color, religion, sexual orientation, anything,” Butler said.
Similarly, Holmgren, who coached Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young as an assistant coach in San Francisco, said, “There's a lot of great quarterbacks, but not everyone can have that same locker room. All of my teammates loved Favre. He was a bit of a fool with me sometimes, but my teammates loved him and played hard for him and he had a lot of fun playing for him.”
Two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Shanahan and Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy praised Favre's two most impressive records: most wins as a starting quarterback with 160 and most consecutive games played as a quarterback or offensive or defensive player.
“You're judged by wins and losses, and he's won more games than any quarterback that's ever played,” Shanahan said after Favre's final season in Green Bay, while Dungy called Favre's NFL-record 299 consecutive games played “the most impressive streak in the history of sports, in my opinion.”
Super Bowl-winning coach and former Packers assistant coach Andy Reid credited Favre with giving him his first head coaching job in Philadelphia, as well as the seven Packers offensive assistants who followed in his footsteps from 1992 to 2007. “None of this would have happened without No. 4,” Reid said, referring to one of six jersey numbers retired by the franchise. “You can say or think whatever you want, but we all owe our jobs to No. 4.”
Regarding Favre's place in Packers history, Hall of Fame general manager Ron Wolf said in 2012, two years after Favre retired as a player, “Everybody will say the greatest Packers player of all time is Brett Favre. That's what he's done.” Bart Starr, who led the Packers to five NFL championships in the 1960s, said after Favre's final game in Green Bay that the two could not be compared. “Brett was many times more talented than I was,” Starr said.
Before Tom Brady arrived, and for the majority of Favre's career, Montana was considered by many to be the greatest quarterback in basketball history.
But before Favre's career ended, Pro Football Hall of Fame general manager Bobby Beatard said he was probably the best player ever. “That's a terrible thing to say, because Joe Montana is a legend,” said Beatard, who was general manager when Washington won two Super Bowls in the 1980s. “But I don't know if Montana would have been as successful if he'd played in a traditional pro system. But Favre would have been just as successful in any system. He would have been as good in any era.”
Pro Football Hall of Famer and NFL Films artistic genius Steve Sabol described Favre's place in NFL history as “Mondrian, Van Gogh, Picasso and Renoir.”
Favre was acquired by Wolf in the largest trade in NFL history in 1992. In return, Wolf gave Atlanta the 17th overall pick in that year's draft.
Favre began the 1992 season as the No. 2 quarterback, but entered the game in place of an injured Don Mykowski in the first quarter of Game 3 and threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to backup receiver Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds left in a dramatic 24–23 victory over Cincinnati. Favre made his first professional start the following week against Pittsburgh, playing at the position for 253 consecutive games over 16 years.
After the 2007 season, Favre's final season with Green Bay, he held the NFL's all-time records for pass attempts, completions, passing yards (61,655), touchdown passes (442) and interceptions (436).
Some of the indelible memories Favre leaves with his coaches, teammates and Packers fans include his debut against the Bengals, his 40-yard, desperate pass to Sterling Sharpe in the final seconds of a game against Detroit that gave the Packers their first playoff win in 12 years, his incredible comeback from injury and five-touchdown performance against Chicago in 1995, his 54-yard touchdown bomb to Andre Rison and a record-setting 81-yard pass to Antonio Freeman in Super Bowl XXXI, his last-minute heroics in the first three home games of the 1999 season, his touchdown pass to Freeman in overtime in a Monday night thriller against Minnesota, his out-of-body performance in Oakland after the death of his father, his 82-yard pass to Greg Jennings on the first play of an overtime win over Denver and his winter wonderland-like performance in a playoff win over Seattle. This win was also his final as a Packer.
Favre was the first NFL player to win the Associated Press MVP award three consecutive years. He led the Packers to 40 come-from-behind victories and the best regular-season winning percentage in the NFL from 1992-2007.
After tearfully announcing his retirement on March 6, 2008, Favre changed his mind about playing again and was traded to the New York Jets. He played one year with the Jets and his final two seasons with Minnesota.
Favre was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He was one of just 10 quarterbacks in NFL history to be selected to the All-Centennial Team in 2019.
Favre wasn't the most prototypical quarterback. “Brett Favre is the Muhammad Ali of football. He has a style that's unique and probably like no one else's,” St. Louis Rams general manager Charlie Army said in 2002. Indianapolis general manager Bill Polian echoed those words in 2008: “That's the way he played. He was reckless and he gave it his all on every play.” That's why his greatness is unquestionable.
Born October 10, 1969. His real name is Brett Lorenzo Favre.
