New York Jets

The guy who traded Brett Favre will attend his HOF ceremony

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:30 p.m. ET

Dan Graf

General manager Ted Thompson nearly tore apart Packers Nation back in 2008, when he opted to trade future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre rather than let Favre do a quick reversal on his spring decision to retire.

But Thompson will be on hand next Saturday night when Favre becomes a current Hall of Famer in Canton -- allowing the relationship between GM and former franchise player to come full circle. Green Bay will face Indianapolis in Canton on Sunday, so this one would be tough to miss.

It’s easy to forget now that Favre’s replacement, Aaron Rodgers, has won a Super Bowl and two MVP awards, but Thompson was initially reviled by a good number of Packers fans for his tough stance on Favre.

And Favre – who was shipped to the Jets before spending two seasons with the hated Minnesota Vikings – remained estranged from the Packers family for several years after he retired following the 2010 season.

The chilly relationship between Favre and the team finally thawed in 2015, when the franchise inducted him into its Hall of Fame in July and retired his No. 4 in November.