Say goodbye to Aaron Rodgers, Vikings fans. Enjoy some Packers instability.

NFL Insider: Brett Favre and Rodgers' run of quarterback stability and historical excellence in Green Bay will likely never be seen again.

April 25, 2023 at 10:06PM
FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2006, file photo, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, left, and back-up Aaron Rogers share time on the bench during their NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Green Bay, Wis. Former quarterback Favre says Rodgers was surprised by Green Bay's decision to draft a quarterback in the first round. Favre said Wednesday, April 29, 2020, on "The Rich Eisen Show" that he had spoken with Rodgers since the Packers traded up four spots in the first round to take Utah State's Jordan Love with the 26th overall pick in the draft Thursday. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
Packers quarterback Brett Favre, left, and Aaron Rodgers on Jan. 1, 2006, at the end of Rodgers’ rookie season. Rodgers took over as Green Bay starter in 2008. (Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Football historians might one day view this as wishfully premature thinking on behalf of Vikings fans, but let's tentatively assume for now that Jordan Love, Green Bay's new No. 1 quarterback, will not spend the next decade and a half winning multiple league MVPs, a Super Bowl, and a trip to Canton, Ohio, to join Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers as a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer.

If that is indeed the case, then, by gosh Vikings fans, The Streak has ended!

Finally.

A run of blessed quarterback stability and historical excellence the likes of which we'll never see again — maybe — is O-V-E-R!

Favre started this unimaginable stretch on Sept. 27, 1992, with the first of his NFL-record 297 consecutive starts, 253 of which came in Green Bay.

Gas cost $1.13 a gallon. Phones were attached to walls. George Bush's dad was president. The internet? What's that?

For those trying to count the days between Sept. 27, 1992, and Monday's reported trade that sent Rodgers to the Jets, don't forget that seven leap years have come and gone since the Packers last had a No. 1 quarterback not named Favre or Rodgers.

Seven.

Taking those seven Feb. 29ths into account, that's a reign of 11,167 days. That's 30 years, 6 months and 29 days.

That's 31 seasons in which Favre and Rodgers have combined to win seven league MVPs, three conference titles and two Super Bowls.

Favre or Rodgers have started 519 of the 538 games (96.5%), including playoffs, since Favre supplanted Don Majkowski in a 17-3 win over the Steelers on a 57-degree afternoon in front of 58,724 fans at Lambeau Field.

A mere pup of 22 years and 353 days, Favre completed 14 of 19 passes for 210 yards, no interceptions, a 144.6 passer rating and touchdowns to Robert Brooks and Sterling Sharpe. Not too shabby for a guy whose first play as a Packer the week before was a batted pass that Favre himself caught for a 7-yard loss.

While Favre (160-53) and Rodgers (147-75-1) were going a combined 307-128-1 in the regular season (.704) and 23-20 in the postseason (.535), the Vikings were trotting out 26 starting quarterbacks that went 272-221-2 (.552) in the regular season and 8-16 (.333) in the playoffs.

Against the Vikings, Favre and Rodgers went a combined 34-25-1 (.575) in the regular season and 1-1 in the playoffs. As Packers QBs, they were more dominant against the Bears and Lions in both the NFC Central and now the NFC North. Against the Bears, they went a combined 47-18 (.723) in the regular season and 1-0 in the playoffs. Against the Lions, they were 44-17 (.721) in the regular season.

The Packers won 15 of 31 division titles with Favre and Rodgers. The Vikings won nine, the Bears five, the Lions one and the Buccaneers one in the NFC Central.

The first Vikings quarterback to start against this dynamic duo was journeyman backup Sean Salisbury at the Metrodome on Dec. 27, 1992. Salisbury won 27-7 while throwing for 292 yards, no interceptions and two touchdowns, including a 34-yarder to a tight end named Mike Tice. Favre threw three interceptions, no touchdowns and had a 43.4 passer rating.

Daunte Culpepper holds the franchise mark for wins against Favre or Rodgers (five). He went 4-6 in the regular season and 1-0 in the playoffs, all coming against Favre.

Kirk Cousins went 4-4-1, all against Rodgers. Warren Moon is the only other quarterback to win more than two. He went 3-2, all against Favre.

Four Vikings quarterbacks beat Favre or Rodgers twice: Jim McMahon (2-0), Case Keenum (2-0), Randall Cunningham (2-1) and, oh yeah, Favre himself (2-2). Favre swept Rodgers in two all-time classics in 2009 before being swept during the all-time nightmarish 2010 season.

As a Viking, Favre won 18 games, including one in the playoffs. Among the 26 Purple starters since Sept. 27, 1992, that ranks tied for fifth with Cunningham behind Cousins (47), Culpepper (40), Brad Johnson (28) and Moon (21).

Favre played 16 seasons in Green Bay, winning three MVPs, before the Packers grew tired of him and traded him to the Jets in 2008 to make room for Rodgers, a 24th overall draft pick who had spent three years as a backup. A year later, Favre ended up in Minnesota.

Rodgers spent 15 years as a starter in Green Bay, winning four MVPs, before the Packers grew tired of him and traded him to the Jets to make room for Love, a 26th overall draft pick who has, you got it, spent three years as a backup.

So, for now at least, The Streak is O-V-E-R!

Unless, of course … Love plays 14 seasons in Green Bay and wins five MVPs before the Packers grow tired of him, trade him to the Jets and he ends up as the Vikings' starter a year later in 2038.

Let's assume that won't happen. Tentatively, of course.

about the writer

about the writer

Mark Craig

Sports reporter

Mark Craig has covered the NFL nearly every year since Brett Favre was a rookie back in 1991. A sports writer since 1987, he is covering his 30th NFL season out of 37 years with the Canton (Ohio) Repository (1987-99) and the Star Tribune (1999-present).

See More