The general public is well aware that Brett Favre was shown the door by the Falcons in 1992 due to a dispute with head coach Jerry Glanville. The coach reportedly showed concerns about the rookie’s maturity, partying, and even substance use. And when Favre got a chance to perform on the field, he threw two interceptions on just four passes.
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But that’s not the full story behind the QB’s trade to Green Bay. Deion Sanders recently shared a little-known anecdote about the young quarterback that sheds even more light on Favre’s mischievous side as a rookie.
Sanders was part of the 1991 Atlanta squad and had quite the year, earning his first career Pro Bowl nod and a second-team All-Pro selection. On offense, he also got a front-row seat to Favre’s rowdy side, a player who had yet to prove himself … but he didn’t at all hesitate to trash-talk the starting QB ahead of him.
Sanders shared the story on the latest episode of the New Heights podcast. Co-host Travis Kelce got the ball rolling by bringing up how his head coach, Andy Reid, back in the Green Bay days, once warned a young Brett Favre while facing Sanders: Stay out of trouble and avoid the path the star cornerback was on.
But, being Brett Favre, he didn’t listen, and it ended with an interception. “Within the first handful of plays, [Favre] tested the waters. [Reid] said he walked over to the sideline. He couldn’t look Brett in the face cause you [Sanders] picked it up,” Kelce narrated.
Sanders, laughing, had to add another anecdote that made Favre seem even more rebellious than Reid’s story suggested. And in that story, rookie Favre was actually trash-talking his own starting QB on the sideline.
“The reason he was traded to Green Bay is because Brett [Favre] used to tell the starting quarterback, Chris Miller at the time: ‘Hey, go on out there and mess it up. I’ll be in by the third quarter,'” Sanders revealed, leaving the Kelce brothers bursting into laughter.
But Sanders also had praise for Favre, noting that the Falcons knew from the start the rookie was destined to lead a franchise. His throws and poise said it all. According to Sanders, the only reason he was traded was that he was putting too much pressure on the team’s starting quarterback.
Favre did well in the end, as we all know. One Super Bowl, three MVPs … he’s firmly etched his name in the history books. Just not with the Falcons.
