Greg Jennings Took Brett Favre’s Advice Before Joining Minnesota Vikings

Greg Jennings has pulled sort of a mini Brett Favre, defecting from the Green Bay Packers to the rival Minnesota Vikings within the division. Jennings was a popular name on the free-agent market, but when nothing transpired early in the process, everyone figured he’d end up returning to Green Bay, where he spent the first seven seasons of his NFL career. But no, he shocked the football world by landing in Minnesota instead, and he’s more than ready to battle his ex-team twice a year going forward. Greg Jennings joined Paul Allen on KFAN in Minneapolis to discuss jumping from the Packers to the Vikings, his inevitable return to Green Bay with his new team in, being courted by the Patriots on the side, and speaking to Brett Favre during the decision process.

On returning to Lambeau Field next season:

“It’s gonna be exciting, business as usual. Obviously I have some history there. Appreciate the opportunities that they gave me. Great organization, but the song said it best.”

On the Vikings making a stronger push to get him than the Packers did to retain him:

“I’ll say this, Mr. Spielman and Coach Frazier and the Wilf family, they were more in-tuned to me playing in this color and with this organization than Green Bay was. So the decision was made and I’m excited about it.”

On if the Patriots made a run at him:

“They did. New England did, and obviously the interest was there, but I had already committed to the visit with the Vikings. And I was excited about the visit, so it wasn’t like I was second-guessing, like, ‘Ah, man, New England is on me now.’ We knew that would be a potential, barring what took place with Welker. But it was about what would be the best fit for myself and my family, and just the people within the organization, and being around Rick and Leslie and Coach Stewart and Coach Musgrave and some of the other guys in that building, it was pretty much a love affair, honestly, from the time we got off the airplane.”

On speaking with Brett Favre as he tried to make this decision:

“Absolutely. We were literally — as I got off the plane and Coach Musgrave walked up to me — I’m on the phone with Brett. I spoke with Brett probably two or three times throughout this process — a lot via text and then on the phone as well. But he shot me straight. I knew if there was one person that would shoot straight and tell me exactly what I wanted to hear and the things that I possibly didn’t want to hear, it would be Brett. And so he did that for me.”