Jennings in Contact with Favre Prior to Signing with Vikings
By Zach Kruse on Mar 18, 2013 with 30 Comments
New Minnesota Vikings receiver Greg Jennings told KFAN in Minneapolis Monday that he was in contact with former NFL quarterback Brett Favre before making his decision to leave the Green Bay Packers for the rival Vikings.
“Literally, as I got off the plane and (offensive coordinator Bill) Musgrave walked up to me, I’m on the phone with Brett,” Jennings said, per Vikings Update of Scout.com. “I spoke with Brett two or three times throughout this process. He shot me straight. I knew if there was one person that would shoot straight and tell me exactly what I wanted to hear and things I possibly didn’t want to hear, it would be Brett. He did that for me.”
Conspiracy theorists who assume Favre did this to stick it to the Packers can chill. There’s no reason to make a mountain out of ant hill here.
Jennings, a former teammate of Favre’s from 2006-07, simply reached out for advice on a difficult decision Favre had experience with and received it. This might be more of a story had Favre denied Jennings any wisdom about making what was certain to be the polarizing choice of leaving Green Bay for the Vikings.
Jennings was searching for financial security and then received a better monetary deal from Minnesota. That reality paved his eventual deal with the Vikings, not Favre’s harmless advice.
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Filed Under: Brett Favre • Cheesehead TV • Free agency • Greg Jennings • Packers Micro Blog
Wow.
Olive branch can now be permanently broken off in both of their azzes.
Maybe Farve Jennings and Longwell can all take a walk together in north Minneapolis at night
If Jennings reached out to Favre independently, this is literally nothing. Just Neutral advice between former teammates. If the Vikings initiated this, it seems more like recruiting.
If I’m reading the quote correctly, it sounds like he got off the plane and Musgrave gave him the phone. Can’t think of any other reason why he’d say it that way.
That’s not how I originally heard it. Jennings said he and Brett had spoken several times, mostly by text. But that he was talking to him on the phone as he got off the plane. I don’t see how you can read it as Musgrave handing him the phone.
This is much ado about nothing, unless you’re predisposed to hating anything Favre related.
I would probably agree if I heard it vs reading it, and can see how even reading it can be taken differently than I originally took it.
I’ m just a firm believer in the saying…”when people show you who they are, believe them.” I don’t trust Favre…he’s only shown me why I shouldn’t.
It may not have been a coordinated effort, but I feel pretty confident Favre did his part (if even for his own selfish motivations) to assure Jennings that going to MIN would be a good move.
I’ll also add, that it may bother me even more that Jennings felt he needed Favre’s advisement in this decision. I mean, really?? It’s not as if he and Favre are buds, and wouldnt doubt if they havent spoken in years. Jennings has changed since Jordy, Cobb, and Jones started getting all of the attention, culminating in his handling of his contract situation. I don’t really care for the way he’s presented himself…just not the Jennings I knew and loved.
Mostly by text, eh?
kinky…
What bugs me is all of a sudden he is talking about #1 receiver, guys don’t get the full potential because of spreading the ball, blah, blah, blah!
Excuse me, you were injured 2011/12 and expected to be #1 that easily when the other 3 stepped up big time?
You were #1, and it showed during the SB run. Of all the high profile players, you seem to have changed the most!
I was ok with moving on, but showing up in interviews, Rome is Burning, Can’t Wait, will be in the pudding this season! Aaron or Ponder, not a tough choice in my book.
He can’t take the fact Cobb was the becoming the man in Green Bay .
I think most likely he started to surround himself with people who couldn’t stand that Cobb was becoming the man and Jennings believed the BS that was spewed at him.
Wonder if Greg asked his good buddy Brett why Brett wanted TT to get Randy rather than work to develop him during one of his annual retirement dances/tantrums. Of all the reasons I don’t like Brett, this doesn’t even rate. But Greg really should think twice before seeking career advice from someone who wanted to stunt his career for another shot at glory.
Who?
GBP 4 LIFE
I’m sick of all talk by Jennings. I know he was hurt last season but still, his Yards per catch was barely over 10. If not for the last game of season against the Vikings it would have been under 10. Just go Greg and keep quiet. Ponder is throwing you the ball next year. 45 catches for about 700 yards and 5 TD’s will be a good season for you. Besides, you knew Cobb was turning into the man in Green Bay and your ego wasn’t going to be able to handle that.
It was all about the money nothing more.
Seriously…it was about money and security. if I was looking at moving to a different company in my line of work and I knew someone who had worked there (even casually) and wanted the low down on the place, I’d call and ask him, “hey, I’m thinking of making a move. What’s it like there?” Hell, any rational person would do their homework. Favre didn’t talk GJ into leaving GB. He offered what was surely solicited advice. Greg is a big boy and I’m sure made the decision that was right for his career and his family.
What is really the big deal with this?? GJ is gone and will be missed, but we move on with a pretty solid group of WR’s.
Not a big deal, I don’t have any resentment for Jennings leaving. Just the fact he went to Minn kinda sucks, but what else is new… They always have one of our former players and w/ Longwell retiring they needed another. I’m sure it was the right move family wise, just due to the extra millions, but it surely wasn’t a good career move! His career is only going downhill w/ Ponder/Cassel throwing to him the next couple years. He’ll probably get alot of targets and get 80+ rec and 1000 yds, but he’ll be lacking big plays. It’ll be all 10-12 yd passes since the QB can’t get the ball deep. Not worried about this at all. Minn won’t get far w/ Ponder at QB, no matter who’s catching his “darts in the wind”.
You can’t just throw a generic ‘if I was thinking about leaving for another job’ analogy out there. This is the NFL…this is very VERY different.
Why is this not a fair analogy?
Why is it VERY different because it is the NFL?
Disagree.
Jennings also wants the attention and targets of being a #1 WR…even if he’s merely perceived that way.
He hasn’t been the same mentally since missing time in 2011 and having the theoretical torch passed to Nelson and Cobb.
I think Ted, brett and greg should all go out and get drunk together
Brett may end up back in the league if that happens, he plays his best football when ripped off his gord.
I hope Jennings enjoys being on a truely run-first team with an ineffective QB and a mediocre WR corps.
We’ll never forget you either, Gary.
neither favre’s or jennings decision was difficult.
It’s clear that GJ miscalculated the market, which is consistent with the perception that he felt slighted and “undervalued” in GB. Now he’s got to prove it on the field with a second tier QB. I’m interested to see what he’s got left in the tank. He should be a difference maker if Ponder can make the accurate throws, since I think GJ needs to be “thrown open”
Can you imagine the phone call:
“hey Bret, guess what. After I gave the team everything I had they now refuse to pay me and are putting me out to pasture” . “Ya, I know where your coming from.’ “Give the Vikes a call and rub it in there face the way I did”. “Have a nice day.”
Jennings and his agent clearly understood that he would be low balled. The Pack have a solid track record of letting people talent walk out the door to save a buck. aka Jenkins, Wells, Favre.
Hell, he put his house on the market before the season ended so he had solid plans to play elsewhere. The Vikes are a good fit for him and he can play get even too.
Everytime he catchs a ball against us he can be pointing to Ted and saying, hey you had your chance.
Move on people. Let it go. Everyone knows that it is a business decision. How many of you would turn down more money to switch jobs? There is no such thing as loyalty because it cuts both ways. Teams cut players and players will leave if it benefits them financially.
I like this because it will make it easier to root against him. I enjoy that much more than being reasonable and understanding.
Gotta respect the honesty, Bugeater! I, too will root against him and his pukey jersey and his petri dish stadium and his…etc…etc twice a season. But I reserve the right to be reasonable and wish him well the rest of the year. He was a great Packer who saw the writing on the wall and chose the pasture over the racetrack. Would have been nice to keep him another year or two, but R Cobb has proven what he can do and it is his time now.