Green Bay sent Brett Favre to the Jets for conditional 2009…
Green Bay sent Brett Favre to the Jets for conditional 2009 draft compensation that became a third-round pick, No. 83, after Favre met the playing-time trigger. The Packers later used that extra third-round asset in the trade-up package for Clay Matthews. New York received one season of Favre, but Green Bay converted the deal into a far more durable roster-building benefit.
Green Bay Packers Received
- pick 2009 third round pick (#83- Brandon Tate ; subsequently traded in Clay Matthews package)
New York Jets Received
- player Brett Favre
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Green Bay traded Brett Favre to the Jets on August 7, 2008 for conditional 2009 draft compensation. The important detail is the year and trigger: the return was not a 2008 pick. Favre's playing time pushed the compensation to a 2009 third-round selection, No. 83. Green Bay later included that extra third-round asset in the package used to trade up for Clay Matthews.
Green Bay Packers Return
The Packers turned a difficult quarterback transition into a meaningful future asset. Pick No. 83 carried real value on its own, but its importance increased when Green Bay used it as part of the move that brought Matthews to the roster. The trade therefore produced more than a nominal mid-round selection; it supplied leverage in a later move that helped shape the next era of the defense.
New York Jets Return
New York received Favre and got an immediate, high-profile starting quarterback. That had clear short-term value, but the arrangement lasted only one season and did not develop into the sustained answer the Jets hoped to secure. Giving up a third-round pick for a one-year quarterback run is not disastrous, especially for a team trying to contend, but the return was temporary.
Value in Hindsight
The downstream use of Green Bay's compensation creates the decisive gap. A third-round pick is already meaningful capital, and converting that asset into part of the Matthews trade-up gave the Packers a long-lasting benefit that far exceeded Favre's one-season Jets tenure. New York received the more famous player in the moment, but Green Bay extracted the more durable franchise value from the transaction.
Final Verdict
Green Bay earns an A for converting the Favre departure into valuable 2009 draft capital that later helped land Clay Matthews. The Jets receive a C because Favre provided legitimate short-term quarterback value but no lasting solution. The Packers clearly won the long game, and the documented compensation makes that outcome much easier to see.