To clarify, Brett voiced his desire to go to Minnesota before he was traded to the Jets. That was the main reason that the trade contained poison pill language that prohibited him from then getting traded to his preferred location of the Vikings. See below:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp08/news/story?id=3522971
The NFL Network also is reporting that the Packers took great pains to ensure that Favre would not be traded to the Vikings by inserting a "poison pill" in the deal. If Favre were to be traded to Minnesota, New York would have to surrender three first-round picks to Green Bay.
Favre and Bus Cook found a way around the poison pill by retiring again and convincing the Jets to eventually release him. Once released, he was "surprised" when the Vikings strongly courted him to play for them. Here are a few choice excerpts from another ESPN article after Favre retired from the Jets:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3898942
Earlier, sources told ESPN that Cook informally discussed the option of releasing Favre with the Jets. The Jets respectfully declined that option, a source said.
Favre conceded that he had an abundance of motivation to play for the Jets at the beginning of last season, most of it inspired by the spite he maintained for Packers GM Ted Thompson for trading him from Green Bay to New York. Favre felt Thompson had taken Favre's team from him, believed it had become personal, described the Packers as dishonest and concluded that the most accomplished quarterback in history had been exiled to the Jets precisely because it was something of a football purgatory, where no championships had been won in the four decades since Joe Namath.
After the Jets traded up in the draft, Favre began texting Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and pestered him until the Jets finally agreed to release him. The Jets had been reluctant because they didn't have a good plan at QB and wanted to be first in line if Favre decided to play again. Favre waited it out long enough, forcing the Jets to draft a QB which then made his release more likely. All that was left was to convince the Jets. He succeeded in May when they released him. With his options open, he immediately began talking with the Vikings but waited until the end of training camp to sign.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...-favre-returning-nfl-vikings-article-1.408388
One
NFL source insists Favre can't peacefully retire until he finds a way to get revenge on the Packers. He wants back into the
NFC North so he can face the Packers twice. The
Bears traded for
Jay Cutler and the
Lions drafted
Matthew Stafford. Hello, Minnesota.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/sports/football/19favre.html?_r=0
This sudden U-turn in Favre’s future was not a complete surprise. Soon after he
told the Jets he was retiring for the second time, he asked for his release, keeping his options open. And back in July, he had left the door slightly ajar for a return — only to the Vikings, the team he wanted to play for last season, too — when he said he would continue to work out.
Once told that despite un-retiring he wouldn't play for the Packers again, Favre's plan the entire time was to play for an NFC North team. The Vikings were the natural spot and he did what he needed to do to stick it to Thompson. We all know now that Thompson made the right move but we had to endure a drama offseason in 2008 and two nauseating losses to the Vikings in 2009. In the end though, Favre ripped the souls out of every Vikings fan at the end of 2009 and further deflated them in 2010. He did more than the Packers ever could have done to the Vikings. He let them sniff a Super Bowl and then yanked the football away. How appropriate for the state that produced Charles Schultz.
Thanks for
all of the memories Brett. Your career was a series of elated highs and groaning lows. There were stumbling completions, under-hand passes, escape artist moves in the pocket, many wins, and a SB trophy. There were also many INTs, many "rocket balls," a drug addiction, and the entire fiasco described above. His career was a roller coaster ride and I enjoyed all of the good with the bad. It makes a better story.