Five years ago this week, on August 18, 2009, the Minnesota Vikings signed former adversary Brett Favre. Though rumored, it was a shocking event that rocked two, rival franchises. Families may even have been divided. Brett Favre wearing his familiar #4 in a very unfamiliar purple jersey. The whole day was a circus. News helicopters. A convoy of cars from the airport to the Vikings Eden Prairie facility. Stunned fans everywhere.
The Minnesota Vikings entered the 2009 season with a talented, veteran football team. They were 10-6 in 2008 with a brief playoff appearance. They could do so much more if they only had a quarterback that had the respect of any defense that they faced. There was a fierce quarterback battle in Minnesota between Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. Both are fine quarterbacks. Both are better as backup quarterbacks than starters. Neither throws much fear into an NFL defense. Head coach Brad Childress knew that he needed a better quarterback if he ever wanted to have more than a brief playoff appearance. He needed Favre. And, Favre apparently needed the Minnesota Vikings. He wanted to face the Packers twice. He wanted to face the team that he led for 16 years. The team that traded him to the New York Jets. The Vikings were the perfect team for Favre and he was the perfect quarterback for the Vikings. Some Vikings fans could never accept it but most were thrilled beyond belief. Brett Favre is the Minnesota Vikings quarterback! It just didn't seem possible.
Before he was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, Brad Childress was Andy Reid's offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles. Reid was Favre's quarterback coach on Mike Homgren's staff with the Green Bay Packers. Childress had installed an offense in Minnesota that Favre could run in his sleep. The Vikings offered an array of offensive weapons that included running backs Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor and receiver's Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, and Bernard Berrian. With his experience in this offense, Favre was a plug-and-play quarterback from the moment that he signed his big contract. He didn't need any stinkin' training camp in Mankato. He could come to the Vikings facilities during the third week of August and be ready to play NFL games for a new team in about three weeks. Five years ago this week, on August 18, 2009, he did just that.
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