by The Phone Calls That Changed Brett Favre’s Career
Brett Favre is widely considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Over a 20-year career spent primarily with the Green Bay Packers, Favre amassed countless records and led his team to a Super Bowl championship. However, his career very nearly took a different path due to two pivotal phone calls early in his playing days. There are strong arguments that either the 1992 call from the Atlanta Falcons or the 2008 call from the New York Jets most significantly altered the trajectory of Favre’s life and legacy. Upon closer examination, the 1992 call from the Falcons likely had a more profound and lasting impact.
The 1992 Call from the Atlanta Falcons
Coming out of Southern Miss, Favre was drafted in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Packers. However, the team saw him merely as a backup to starting quarterback Don Majkowski. Favre spent most of his rookie season on the bench, attempting just four passes.
Heading into the 1992 season, the Atlanta Falcons were in the market for a new starting quarterback. Their incumbent starter, Billy Joe Tolliver, was not seen as the long-term solution. Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville took a chance and invited Favre to Atlanta’s training camp to compete for the starting job.
Favre seized the opportunity with both hands. He outplayed Tolliver and another challenger, Matt Robinson, during camp and in the preseason. Glanville saw something special in the big-armed, gunslinger mentality of the young Favre. “Brett has the ‘it’ factor,” Glanville said at the time. “He stands in that pocket like John Wayne under heavy fire. I’m telling you, this guy is for real.”
However, the Packers were reluctant to part with their promising but still unproven backup quarterback. Packers head coach Mike Holmgren, who had taken over before the 1992 season, recognized Favre’s talent and potential. He negotiated a trade with the Falcons to acquire Favre, sending a first-round pick in return.
The trade turned out to be one of the most lopsided in NFL history. Favre went on to start every game for the Packers from 1992 onwards, leading them to playoff appearances in each of his first eight seasons as the starter. In 1996, Favre cemented his legacy by winning Super Bowl XXXI and being named Super Bowl MVP. He went on to set NFL records for passing yards, touchdowns, wins, and consecutive starts by a quarterback over his Hall of Fame career, all in a Packers uniform.
Meanwhile, the Falcons floundered with the quarterbacks they turned to instead of Favre. Their 1992 season was a disaster, and they continued bouncing between short-term solutions under center for years. The first-round pick they acquired from Green Bay as part of the Favre trade ended up being a bust. Had Favre stayed in Atlanta as originally planned, it’s hard to imagine his career unfolding with the same success or he would have achieved the same legendary status.
The trade that brought Favre back to Green Bay was the turning point that defined his career. Playing for Holmgren’s offensive system and surrounded by talent like wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, Favre flourished. He took full advantage of the opportunity and responsibility of being a starting quarterback in the NFL. Favre became a star and led the Packers dynasty of the 1990s. The Falcons call was the first domino to fall that set all of this in motion.
The 2008 Call from the New York Jets
After 16 seasons with the Packers that included a Super Bowl title, three MVP awards, and countless records, Favre’s tenure in Green Bay came to a messy end. He had retired after the 2007 season, only to have an infamous change of heart. A power struggle emerged between Favre and new Packers general manager Ted Thompson.
Rather than allow Favre to return as the starter, Thompson traded the future Hall of Famer to the New York Jets in August 2008. The Jets hoped adding the veteran gunslinger could help lead them to a championship. Favre had something to prove after the way things ended in Green Bay as well.
However, Favre’s lone season with the Jets was ultimately a disappointment. He struggled to mesh with new receivers and in a different offensive system. The Jets finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs, ending Favre’s streak of playoff appearances. It was his first season with a sub-.500 record since becoming Green Bay’s starter in 1992.
Many felt Favre still had more to offer, though. In another surprising move, the Vikings acquired Favre via trade from the Jets after the 2008 season. Returning to the NFC North, Favre enjoyed a career renaissance. He led Minnesota to an NFC North title and a 12-4 record. The Vikings came within a game of the Super Bowl, falling to the eventual champion New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship.
Favre’s season with the Vikings showed he still had some excellent football left. It extended his career by another year and allowed him to make one more deep playoff run. But it was merely a coda to his career, not the defining act. Favre had already cemented his legacy with over a decade in Green Bay. The Jets trade opened the door for his Vikings opportunity but did not reshape his career’s arc in the way the Falcons call did years earlier.
The Lasting Impact
When comparing the two pivotal calls in Favre’s career – the 1992 invitation from the Falcons and the 2008 trade to the Jets – the Atlanta call undoubtedly had the greater impact. It set in motion the entire course of Favre’s Hall of Fame career, including his Super Bowl title and records accumulated mostly as a Packer.
Had he stayed in Atlanta as originally planned, Favre’s career likely would have taken a much different path. He may have struggled to succeed with the franchise instability the Falcons had at quarterback. Favre may never have found his way to Green Bay to play under Holmgren either.
The Jets trade was more of a late-career detour than a redirection. Favre’s legacy was already cemented in Green Bay. Going to the Vikings for one more run did prolong things but did not define his story in the same way. He had already achieved Super Bowl glory and set records that may never be broken.
In the end, it was the 1992 phone call from the Falcons that truly changed everything for Brett Favre. It started his journey to becoming arguably the greatest and most beloved quarterback in Packers history. The trade back to Green Bay altered the entire course of his Hall of Fame career. Nearly 30 years later, Favre’s career is still discussed and his records still stand largely due to that single, franchise-altering phone call.
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