Retirement was a tough pill to swallow for Brett Favre. After 16 seasons in Green Bay, the ageless ironman was not ready to hang 'em up, concluding his NFL career with a year in New York and two in Minnesota—much to every Cheesehead’s chagrin. Featured here is the jersey worn by Favre in his last game as a Packer, a heartbreaking 23-20 overtime loss to the Giants in the 2007 NFC Championship.
After leading his team to a 13-3 regular season, Favre looked primed to lead the Pack back to another Super Bowl. He completed 19-of-35 passes for 236 yards with two TD’s in the January 20, 2008, game played on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. The game-time temperature was a frigid one below with -23 wind chill. Alas, it was the 'Ole Gunslinger’s costly pick in OT that ended the run, perhaps a fitting end for the man beloved by the Packer faithful for his gutsy decision-making and all-or-nothing flair for the dramatic. The gridiron legend from Kiln, Miss. will forever be deified in the state of Wisconsin.
The green jersey has a “07-52” (year, size) strip tag inside the collar. The iconic No. 4 appears on the front, back and shoulders with “FAVRE” across the back on a green nameplate. All numbering and lettering come in white tackle twill. On the v-neck is the NFL Equipment shield patch, with Favre’s Captain “C” patch (one gold star and three white) embroidered on the right chest and the Lambeau Field 50th anniversary patch embroidered on the left chest. The sleeves have yellow and white stripe decals along with an embroidered Reebok logo patch. A custom elastic hem lines the bottom. The shirt exhibits solid game use with contact marks on the back number where Favre has added his autograph and “Game Used 1/20/08 NFC Championship” inscription in 8-9/10 black marker. This jersey certainly ranks as one of, if not, the finest Favre gamer in the hobby to own.
In regards to the noticeable brownish stain on the front number extending a few inches into the green mesh below. MeiGray calls it a “hot liquid drink” as many players were seen drinking hot chocolate on the sidelines to keep from freezing. Traces of the stain are visible in the mesh during the game (Getty 79161952), but it wasn’t until later that the stain had fully settled into the number (as is typical with twill fabric).
The documentation for this important piece of NFL history is impeccable. In addition to a Favre signed LOA and a 4x6 printed photo of him holding it just after the signing session, the jersey has been conclusively photo-matched to the 1/20/08 NFC title game by the experts at MeiGray using two Getty images (79161944 and 79161952). Both of these printed 8x10 game photos are included with the MeiGray LOA. The autograph and inscription are pre-certified by PSA/DNA.