ICYMI: "My contract doesn't state I have to get him ready to play" - Revisiting epic Brett Favre-Aaron Rodgers feud
The Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre feud was a sight to behold. Rodgers was drafted back in 2005 in the first-round of the NFL draft and served as Favre's back-up for three years.
At the time, it was seen that the Green Bay Packers were drafting Favre's replacement. The consensus was that the starting quarterback was going to help mentor the young players coming through.
Favre balked at the idea, which led to the Hall of Fame quarterback's now-famous quote. Favre said:
"My contract doesn't state I have to get him ready to play. Now hopefully he watches me and gets something from that. There is no clause that says ‘You groom the next guy who’s going to take your job, or else.’ It doesn’t work that way.”
Having to deal with the fact that the organization essentially drafted your replacement is a tough pill to swallow. It was made even more difficult by the fact that Favre thought he was still 'the guy' for the Packers.
Favre was perhaps one of the biggest names in the NFL at the time, and yes, he was getting on in age, but he was still serviceable for the Packers. He led them to a 13-3 record in 2007.
Favre disliked the expectation that he had to work with his eventual successor. Hence, the frosty relationship between the pair in the beginning.
Favre would then leave the Packers in 2008, signing with the New York Jets. This paved the way for Rodgers to begin his NFL career.
Favre would join the Packers' rivals in the Minnesota Vikings for two years after his one-year stint in New York, which created a bit of drama until the legendary quarterback retired in 2010.
Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers have moved on
As the saying goes, time heals all wounds, and that certainly appears to be the case for the relationship between the two Packers legends. Rodgers spoke on the Pat McAfee Show back in 2019 about his relationship with Favre.
He said:
“I love Brett, I always had a great appreciation for him but we were caught in the middle of a power struggle that unfortunately broke apart Brett and the Packers and Brett and myself."
"I love Brett, I always had a great appreciation for him but we were caught in the middle of a power struggle" - @AaronRodgers12 on his relationship with Brett Favre #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE on @DAZN_USA https://t.co/pJsupWoQte
The pair have since seen their relationship blossom and the current Packers quarterback in fact had to deal with a similar situation when the Packers drafted Jordan Love in the first-round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Regardless of how the pair are now, back when Rodgers was drafted, the relationship between starting quarterback and back-up was frosty, to say the least.