Brett Favre breaks silence on viral Mark Gastineau video, makes feelings clear on ex-Jets DE's HOF candidacy
In 1984, New York Jets defensive end Mark Gastineau set the record for most sacks in a season with 22, breaking his own record of 19, which he set the year prior. He held it for 17 years until New York Giants great Michael Strahan broke it on the final play of the regular season against Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers, setting the new mark of 22.5.
Gastineau was at Giants Stadium and congratulated Strahan for breaking the record. However, in 'New York Sack Exchange,' an ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary about the Jets' famed defensive line of the 1980s, he complained that Favre intentionally took a sack on the season's final play to allow the Giants star to break the record.
Gastineau confronted the Hall of Fame quarterback at a sports memorabilia show in Chicago in 2023 and told him that he had "hurt him" by letting Strahan break the record, which left the Packers icon stunned. The awkward interaction was caught on camera and is part of the documentary, which will air on December 17.
On Tuesday, ESPN posted a snippet on their YouTube channel, which featured the confrontation between Mark Gastineau and Brett Favre and it instantly went viral on social media.
The quarterback gave his side of the story in a lengthy series of posts on X and explained why he went down on that play. He wrote:
"I was trying to close out a game and squeeze the last bit of fun out of a hard-fought game. I booted out of a run thinking it would be wide open, saw Strahan standing there and ducked down. The game was over...
"In a different game or situation, I would have made a bigger effort to avoid the sack or TFL. But at no point was I thinking about hurting Gastineau."
Brett Favre wants Mark Gastineau in the Hall of Fame
Brett Favre empathized with Mark Gastineau and wrote that he understands him giving up an easy sack to Michael Strahan ended the Jets icon's reign as the 'Sack King,' which turned him into a footnote in history and potentially cost him financially.
He also vouched for the defensive end to get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, writing:
"I have a great deal of respect for Mark. I hope one day he joins me in the Hall of Fame. He earned it. Look at his numbers. He eclipsed 20 sacks twice and had 19 in another year! Mark definitely left an indelible mark on the game. I hope this controversy brings attention to just how great Mark Gastineau was. He belongs in Canton."
Mark Gastineau finished his career with 107.5 sacks, three First-Team and one Second-Team All-Pro selections, and five Pro Bowl nods. He has been eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame for 30 years but has yet to get the call. As Brett Favre noted, perhaps the documentary will help him get a bronze bust.