NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre Opens Up About Being Targeted in Saints’ Bounty Hunting Scheme 15 Years Later
Fifteen years ago, former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre was a target of a bounty hunting scheme by the New Orleans Saints. Favre revealed the experience in a social media thread, stating he held no “ill will” towards the Saints and wished he had played better in the game.
In 2009, the Saints offered their players cash incentives to injure certain players, with Favre being one of them. The Vikings were considered the top obstacle in the NFC for the Saints to reach the Super Bowl that year. The Saints eventually defeated Favre and the Vikings in the NFC championship game, 31-28 in overtime.
Favre took multiple hard hits and threw a costly interception in overtime, but never was injured. He believes he prepared well for the game, taking multiple hits, and did not make excuses for any non-success.
Favre expressed his opinion about the scandal in his Twitter thread, stating, “I played the game with the mindset to be prepared for anything: big hits, injuries, and players trying to knock my head off. I never made excuses for the times I wasn’t successful and played the game within the ruleset. In fact, losing just made me want to work harder and fueled my drive to win next time.”
The scandal led to some of the harshest sanctions in NFL history, including a one-year suspension for then-head coach Sean Payton, and suspensions for several players and coaches. The team also received a $500,000 fine and lost their second-round picks in the 2012 and 2013 drafts.
Favre concluded his thread by stating, “I don’t have any ill-will towards those involved in Bounty Gate. After we lost to the Saints, I rooted for Drew Brees and Sean Payton to win the Super Bowl. Looking back 15 years later, my opinion hasn’t changed. If I could have some of those plays back and done my part, maybe we would have been the ones celebrating a championship victory in 2010.”