Brett Favre Attempted To 'Clear The Air' On Mark Gastineau Confrontation

"Back in 2002, when Michael Strahan sacked me at the end of a game that we had wrapped up, I was in no way trying to hurt Mark Gastineau," Favre said. "I was trying to close out a game and squeeze the last bit of fun out of a hard-fought game. 

"I booted out of a run thinking it would be wide open, saw Strahan standing there and ducked down. The game was over. There was no need for me to do anything spectacular. It probably wasn’t Michael’s best sack or tackle for loss.

"In a different game or situation, I would have made a bigger effort to avoid the sack or TFL. But at no point was I thinking about hurting Gastineau. Maybe it crossed my mind to help Strahan. I didn’t think it through. That wasn’t my forte at the time. I just wanted to have fun and compete. In retrospect, I understand how Gastineau feels. We played a brutal game. Gastineau played during an era where guys didn’t make generational wealth."

Favre went on to say he recognizes how Gastineau holding on to the record, at least until T.J. Watt recorded 22.5 sacks in 2021, would have impacted his life.

"I see now how being the Sack King would elevate his value at card shows, strengthen his case for the Hall of Fame, increase his demand as a public speaker," Favre said. "I had no way of knowing that then. I realize now the potential financial implications because football is far more business-oriented than when me or Mark played."

Favre concluded by saying he believes Gastineau belongs in the Hall of Fame and hopes he'll one day be rewarded with that honor.

"Mark definitely left an indelible mark on the game. I hope this controversy brings attention to just how great Mark Gastineau was," Favre said.

Whether or not this changes Gastineau's or anyone's mind is up for debate, but Favre has spoken.