During his 2-decade-long NFL career, Brett Favre played 16 seasons for the Green Bay Packers. He was an absolute beast, leading the Packers to 11 playoff appearances. However, Favre wasn’t at his best during the 2005 playoffs, losing to the Vikings in a game where he threw four interceptions. As a result, the team started looking for a backup and drafted Aaron Rodgers as the 24th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. That was when a cold war began. But 20 years later, the rookie is concerned about the veteran.

On September 26, Rodgers said, “The older you get, and some of you know this, but mortality kind of gets thrown in our face a little bit more. I mean, I feel bad for him (Brett Favre), and (wife) Deanna. It’s unfortunately part of our game.”

Rodgers’ emotional comments came after Favre admitted in a Congressional hearing that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. This news shocked many players. While Favre endured multiple hits during his football career, the diagnosis remains devastating.

Speaking of devastating, Favre wasn’t very welcoming to the young Rodgers. When reporters asked him if he would mentor the rookie, Favre replied, “My contract doesn’t state I have to get him ready to play. Now hopefully he watches me and gets something from that.” Everyone knew that he was not happy about the rookie signing, which directly put his position in danger.

Two years later, Favre was traded to the New York Jets and Rodgers went on to play 18 seasons for the Packers before being traded to the Jets himself. Their relationship seemed to cool after Favre retired in 2010. The two were seen laughing together at the 2013 NFL Honors, and in 2016, Rodgers attended Favre’s Hall of Fame induction.

Favre played some humiliating pranks on Rodgers when he was a rookie.

Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre’s on-and-off relationship

The team used to auction items for charity, and one day, a replica helmet was on the table. Favre replaced it with Rodgers’ original helmet, and many players, including Rodgers, signed it. When Rodgers realized his helmet was missing, he understood a prank had been played on him. Throughout practice, he wore the signed helmet while his teammates joked about him. Rodgers eventually got his revenge in his own way.

The Wonderlic test, used by NFL teams to assess prospects, became part of their rivalry. Rodgers scored 35 (out of 50), while Favre scored 22. One day, Rodgers asked Favre during a quarterback meeting if he remembered his score. When Favre denied knowing, Rodgers jokingly reminded him that his score was two.

Rodgers also irritated Favre by sitting at the front of quarterback meetings and eagerly answering questions. This bothered Favre so much that he asked his friend, Donald Driver, to set the rookie straight. Driver told Rodgers that everyone knew he was smart, so he should stay quiet.

These incidents are all blasts from the past. The game was different then, and a little adversity often goes a long way in teaching players about the tough league. Today, Aaron Rodgers is a legend, just like Brett Favre. Stay tuned for more exciting stories.