Hello all! It is Sunday, the NFL day. An epic clash is about to begin between the Green Bay Packers and the 3-game undefeated Minnesota Vikings. Meanwhile, Jordan Love, the Packers QB, is set to make his return after a 2-game absence because of a knee injury. But even before he set his foot on the gridiron, he made an eye-catching entrance at Lambeau Field in the morning that brought up a piece of the Packers’ history.

Putting injury doubts to rest, Love arrived for the showdown, donning a No. 4 jersey, a number that once belonged to the legendary Packers quarterback, Brett Favre. Love walked into the iconic stadium with ease, silencing concerns about his knee injury. Favre, who is in the middle of a medical and legal whirlwind, could not stop himself from acknowledging it.

The heartfelt gesture came just days after Favre’s emotional revelation of his Parkinson’s diagnosis while he was testifying before Congress about his alleged misuse of taxpayer money. The Hall of Fame quarterback shared the video on his own X page and said he has “big respect” for Love “for wearing this old man’s jersey.” Favre retired in 2008 as the Packers all-time leader in passing yards (61,655) and touchdowns (442). Indeed, the old man’s piece has seen a lot, not only love but hatred as well.

The Packers honored the former quarterback in 2015, retiring his No. 4 into the Packer’s ring of honor at halftime of their Thanksgiving day game against the Chicago Bears. That way Favre became just the sixth Packers player to have his number retired, joining Tony Canadeo, Bart Starr, Don Hutson, Ray Nitschke, and Reggie White. After retirement from the Packers, Favre came out of it for a short stint with the New York Jets, and later the Minnesota Vikings, a bitter rival of the Packers. It was his Vikings move that did not sit well with the Packers fans.

Many fans even burnt his No. 4 back then. However, Favre was unfazed. In fact, in his first press conference with the Jets, he said that he would, “always be a Packer.” But on his Jersey retirement day, all everyone had for him was love and respect as was echoed by Packers president Mark Murphy.

Favre was greeted at midfield by several of his former teammates from the Packers’ 1996 and ’97 Super Bowl teams. Murphy introduced Favre to the hyped up crowd by saying, “Welcome home.”

Favre had returned the favor, as he said, “It is Thanksgiving and I have so much to be thankful for. I think back to our time in Green Bay. I certainly thank God for giving me the opportunity to play the game for so long and in the best place to play football.” Green Bay’s love for Favre came out once again on July 18, 2015- the day he was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame.

As Favre entered the stadium on that day, a 67000-strong crowd had given him a standing ovation for nearly two minutes. Favre’s induction speech was studded with humor, tears, and the trademark Favre storytelling. Originally drafted out of Southern Mississippi by the Falcons in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft, Favre was traded to the Packers in 1992 in a deal struck by former general manager Ron Wolf.

Four years after joining the Packers, Favre helped Green Bay win their first championship since 1967. During his time with the Packers, Favre led the team to consecutive Super Bowls and became the first player to win three NFL MVP awards (1995-1997). Favre was selected to 11 Pro Bowls and retired in 2010 as the NFL’s all-time leader in touchdowns (508) and passing yards (71,838). Both records have since been surpassed by Peyton Manning. Favre set an NFL record with 321 consecutive games played, including the playoffs.

However, all these seem to have come for a price: health.

Favre’s revelation of his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis once again brought up the question whether there was a connection between this disease and concussion, quite common for the NFL players. In fact Favre himself had declared in the past that he had “thousands” of concussions through his career. Dr. Joey Gee, a neurologist with Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, California, says the connection is well established.

“We know that persistent trauma to the brain can cause inflammatory changes and vascular disturbances,” Gee said. According to reports Favre revealed the diagnosis to TMZ Sports in late August but requested it not be reported, the outlet noted in their report. Favre had given permission for this after the congressional hearing. Favre revealed to TMZ that he spotted something was wrong when his right arm would get “stuck” often. Understandably, the NFL world rallied behind Favre, with Aaron Rodgers saying it was the unfortunate reality of the game.

With this legacy of the No. 4 behind him, Love and the Packers are set to face tough competition against the Vikings this Sunday, as the Vikings are emerging as the strong side.

Jordan Love returns: Packers face tough test against undefeated Vikings

Jordan Love is set to make his return for the Packers in today’s crucial game against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings. After being sidelined for two weeks with an MCL sprain, Love is expected to play with a brace on his left knee, making his first start since the season opener. According to insider Tom Pelissero, Love took most of the practice reps this week and showed improvement as the week progressed.

The Packers (2-1) are eyeing a chance to tie for first place in the NFC North with a win, while a loss would put them two games behind the Vikings. Love’s presence is huge, and he’s been pushing hard to get back for this game, saying, “I’ve been trying to get back as fast as I can no matter who the opponent was. But, yeah, this is a big one.”

The Packers’ defense will have its hands full with Vikings’ star receiver Justin Jefferson, who continues to break records and dominate defenses. Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander, listed as questionable, could be crucial in containing Jefferson.

Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich knows the challenge the Vikings’ defense poses, especially with their multiple fronts and pressure. He emphasized on having patience, saying, “You just have to focus on your mentality because there’s going to be some bad looks.” With Jordan Love back, it’s shaping up to be a big test for the Packers against a tough opponent.