Brett Favre careers stats: Will Aaron Rodgers be remembered more fondly in Packers history?
The Green Bay Packers have had tremendous luck in having Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers as their back-to-back franchise quarterbacks. Looking around the league and how teams struggle to find a quarterback to match their ambitions, cheeseheads can be grateful for their fortune.
We guess, though, that the Packers front office would have something to say about the characterization that it was down to the stars aligning. They did pick Favre from relative obscurity at the Atlanta Falcons when nobody else did. They also drafted Rodgers when he fell in the draft and others did not want to take a chance on him. They will now be hoping they have managed to repeat the trick with Jordan Love.
A look at each of Brett Favre's and Aaron Rodgers' stats shows how productive they have been for the Packers franchise over the years. So much so that for three decades now, Green Bay have never had to worry about the most critical position on the field.
Favre played for the Green Bay Packers from 1992 to 2007. In that period, he amassed 61,655 yards at 241.8 yards per game. He threw for 442 passing touchdowns and 286 interceptions. His passer rating was 85.8. He won one Super Bowl and three MVP awards during his time in Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers has since taken over from Favre and is still playing, though there is speculation this might be his last season before Jordan Love takes over.
Rodgers has amassed 58,224 passing yards at 257.6 yards per game. His average is, therefore, better than his predecessor. Rodgers has thrown for 471 touchdowns and just 102 interceptions, eclipsing Brett Favre in the process. His passer rating is also higher at 103.8. Rodgers has also won one Super Bowl like Favre but has been named NFL MVP four times.
So all the stats seem to point towards Aaron Rodgers having displaced Brett Favre as the Packers' favorite quarterback? But as with most things, stats cannot provide the full context and so we must look further.
Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers: Which Green Bay Packers legend do the Cheeseheads favor?
Favre arrived at the Green Bay Packers when they were struggling to re-establish themselves in the top tier. They won the first two Super Bowls and were the most successful team in the NFL, but had not won any championships since the inaugural NFL-AFL games.
They saw the Super Bowl trophy renamed after their legendary coach Vince Lombardi but had failed to bring the rechristened trophy home. Favre would come and break that hoodoo and bring it back to Titletown. He won one Super Bowl and further lost one more at the final stage.
@JordanHMichael Most teams only have one such run of luck. GB is fortunate to have two consecutive runs, but this is their team history from the season after Super Bowl 2 until the year before Brett Favre started at QB. https://t.co/PHHYamdTC8
Aaron Rodgers, by comparison, has only taken them to one Super Bowl and has been following in the success that Brett Favre brought back to Green Bay. His personal achievements are more noteworthy, but he has not contributed as much to the team's success as the quarterback he replaced. However, come the end of the day, Rodgers may still be remembered more fondly because he has played his entire career in Green Bay.
Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers after Favre and the @Vikings defeat the @Packers 30-23 at the Metrodome on Monday October 5, 2009. https://t.co/6YqacdttxA
Favre not only played with other NFL teams after the Packers, he joined NFC North division rivals Minnesota Vikings at the end of his career. Additionally, his legacy might be tarnished by the allegations of using funds meant for the underprivileged for his pet projects. Irrespective of his newly voiced bohemian beliefs, Aaron Rodgers has never been accused of such financial misappropriation.
Ultimately, it is hard to know who the fan favorite is. There are reasons for supporting both. The answers will most likely vary depending on who one asks.