On Tuesday, a video of Mark Gastineau facing off against Brett Favre in 2023 went viral. Michael Strahan sacked the Green Bay Packers legend to break Gastineau's single-season sack record.
In the final game of the 2001 season, Favre appeared to fall to the field before being tackled by Strahan, giving the New York Giants legend a record (he later tied TJ Watt for the record).
Gastineau met with Favre at a commemorative event last year and said during a heated exchange that Favre had “hurt” him and “I'm going to get my bag back.”
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NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre.
Favre called on X late Tuesday to “clear the air regarding the footage.”
“When Michael Strahan fired me at the end of the game we finished in 2002, I never meant to hurt Mark Gastineau. We were trying to win. It was a tough game,” said Favre.
“I came out of the run thinking it was going to be wide open and I saw Strahan standing there ducking down. The game was over. I didn't have to do anything fancy. That probably wasn't the best sack or tackle for a loss on Michael's part.''In a different game or situation, he would have tried harder to avoid a sack or a TFL, but he never thought about hurting Gastineau.
Defensive end No. 99 Mark Gastineau celebrates during an NFL football game circa 1986. Gastineau played for the Jets from 1979 to 1988. (Focus on Sports/Getty Images)
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“Maybe it crossed my mind to help Strahan. I didn't really think about it. It wasn't my strong suit at the time. I just wanted to have fun and compete. I-I understand how Gastineau feels.”
Favre later wrote about how Gastineau's value was diminished by not becoming a “sack king,” but added, “There was no way we could have known that at the time.
“I had no ill will. Mark was a great player. My understanding is that he is a great player, a fun teammate, and plays with the kind of joy and passion that I tried to emulate. He was a man. I understand his frustration, but I'm not his enemy,” Favre continued.
“A while ago, he saw me at a card show and got that frustration off his chest. It's not the kind of moment that should be filmed and made public. It was a private moment between two old football warriors. It was a frustrating moment…I hope this controversy brings attention to how great Mark Gastineau was in Canton.”
New York Giants' No. 92 Michael Strahan celebrates breaking Mark Gastineau's single-season sack record against the Green Bay Packers at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Albero/Getty Images)
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In an upcoming documentary featuring Gastineau and the remaining members of the New York Sac Exchange, Gastineau accused Favre of “jumping” “for” Strahan. Gastineau is waiting to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and his defensive line partner Joe Klecko was recently inducted after a long wait.
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