Brett Favre reflects on Saints’ bounty scandal that aimed to reward players who injured him

NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre recently opened up about being a target of a bounty hunting scheme by the New Orleans Saints back in 2009. The Saints offered their players cash incentives to injure certain players, with Favre being on that list. The Vikings were seen as the top obstacle in the NFC for the Saints to reach the Super Bowl that year.

In the NFC championship game that season, the Saints managed to defeat Favre and the Vikings in a thrilling 31-28 overtime victory. While Favre was not injured during the game, he did take multiple hard hits and ended up throwing a costly interception in overtime.

Despite being a target of the bounty hunting scheme, Favre revealed that he harbored no ill will towards the Saints for their actions. In a recent thread on X Friday, Favre shared his thoughts on the scandal, stating that he played the game with the mindset to be prepared for anything and never made excuses for his performance on the field.

Reflecting on the game 15 years later, Favre expressed that he wished he could have some plays back and done his part to potentially lead the Vikings to a championship victory in 2010. He admitted that losing only fueled his drive to work harder and win next time.

Following the scandal, the Saints faced severe sanctions from the NFL. Head coach Sean Payton was suspended for a year without pay, while defensive coordinator Greg Williams was suspended indefinitely (but later reinstated). Other members of the coaching staff and former players were also suspended for their roles in the bounty hunting scheme.

In addition to the suspensions, the Saints were fined $500,000 and had to forfeit their second-round draft picks in 2012 and 2013. The team’s bounty hunting plan involved multiple players and at least one assistant coach, with players contributing to a cash pool for injuring targeted opponents.

Despite the controversy and sanctions that followed, Favre remained gracious towards the Saints and even rooted for them to win the Super Bowl that year. His sportsmanship and respect for the game of football continue to be admired by fans and players alike.