Brett Favre was the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers from 1992 through 2007. During that 16-year period, the future Hall of Famer started 253 consecutive games for the Packers and led them to victory in Super Bowl XXXI.
In the 16 years that Favre started for the Packers, he had an extraordinary group of players serve as his backup. They include players who went on to win Super Bowls, former Heisman Trophy winners and quarterbacks who went on to make the Pro Bowl. Here is a look at those players and what they accomplished either before or after they left Green Bay.
- Ty Detmer (1992-1995)
Detmer had an outstanding college career at BYU and won the Heisman Trophy in 1990. The Packers drafted Detmer in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played seven games for the Packers during his four-year tenure there, completing 11-of-21 passes for 107 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
After leaving Green Bay, Detmer went on to start for the Eagles and later played for the 49ers, Browns and Lions.
- Mark Brunell (1993-1994)
The Packers drafted Brunell in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. The lefthander out of the University of Washington played only two games for the Packers, completing 12-of-27 passes for 95 yards.
The Packers traded Brunell to the Jacksonville Jaguars before the 1995 season and he spent nine seasons as the starter there, leading the Jags to the 1996 AFC Championship Game. Brunell led the league in passing yards in 1996 and went to three Pro Bowls with the Jaguars.
After leaving Jacksonville, Brunell spent three years as a starter in Washington before spending two years as a backup in New Orleans and two more with the New York Jets. Brunell was the backup on the Saints Super Bowl-winning team in 2009.
In 2021, Brunell was back in the NFL as quarterbacks coach for the Lions.
- Jim McMahon (1995-1996)
Green Bay was the last NFL stop for Jim McMahon and he backed up Favre in 1995 and 1996. McMahon was not very popular with Packers fans before he arrived in Green Bay having led the Bears to the Super Bowl in 1985 and started for the Vikings in 1993.
McMahon played in six games for the Packers during his two seasons in Green Bay as Favre’s primary backup. He completed 4-of-5 passes for 45 yards and earned his second Super Bowl ring when the Packers beat the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI.
- Steve Bono (1997)
After McMahon retired, the Packers signed Steve Bono to backup Favre. Bono was familiar with the West Coast offense having served as a backup behind Joe Montana and Steve Young in San Francisco. Bono won a Super Bowl ring after the 1989 season.
With the Packers, Bono completed 5-of-10 passes while playing in two games. He was Favre’s backup in Super Bowl XXXII when the Packers lost to the Broncos.
In addition to San Francisco and Green Bay, Bono played for Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, the Rams and the Panthers. He went to the Pro Bowl with Kansas City in 1995.
- Doug Pederson (1996-1998, 2001-2004)
Pederson spent two terms as a backup with the Packers. He won a Super Bowl ring as the third-string quarterback in 1996. In between those two stints in Green Bay, he started part-time in both Philadelphia and Cleveland.
In seven total years with the Pack, Pederson completed 46-of-77 passes for 398 yards, threw three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Pederson has been the head coach of the Eagles since 2016 and led them to their first Super Bowl title in 2017.
- Matt Hasselbeck (1998-2000)
The Packers drafted Hasselbeck in the sixth round of the 1998. As Favre’s backup he completed 13-of-29 passes for 145 and two touchdowns.
The Pack traded Hasselbeck to the Seahawks before the 2001 season. He started for a decade in Seattle and led the team to the playoffs six times and earned Pro Bowl honors three times. He also led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history although they lost to the Steelers in Super Bowl XL.
The Packers famously defeated Hasselbeck and the Seahawks in the 2003 NFC playoffs when Al Harris intercepted the former Packer signal caller and returned the ball 52 yards for the winning score in overtime.
Hasselbeck finished his career with stints with the Titans and Colts.
- Aaron Brooks (1999)
Brooks was another quarterback the Packers selected in the late rounds, this time in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He spent one year with the Packers but never threw a pass. Still, the Pack was able to trade Brooks to the Saints one year later for a third round pick and linebacker K.D. Williams.
Brooks took over as the starter later that year when Jeff Blake was injured and led the Saints to the first playoff win in franchise history in 2000. He started in New Orleans through the 2005 season before closing out his career in 2006 with the Oakland Raiders.
- Danny Wuerffel (2000)
The 1996 Heisman Trophy winner spent one season with the Packers as Favre’s backup. He played in only one game and did not throw a pass.
The former Florida star also spent time with the Saints, Bears and Washington during his six-year NFL career. He started 10 games and threw 12 career touchdown passes.
- Aaron Rodgers (2005-2007)
The Packers were surprised that Rodgers was still available when they selected 24th in the 2005 NFL Draft. After three years of backing up Favre, Rodgers took over as the starter in 2008 and has been there ever since.
Rodgers has won four NFL MVP awards and is a lock for the Hall of Fame five years after he retires.
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