The Minnesota Vikings rivalry with the Green Bay Packers continued when running back Aaron Jones signed with the Vikings earlier this week. With a one-year, $7 million contract, Jones hopes to add some veteran talent to Minnesota’s backfield but also joined a list of players who have played on both sides of the rivalry.
While some Packers fans will gleefully claim there is a pipeline of washed-up talent going from Green Bay to Minnesota, there are other players who have successfully made the jump from the Vikings to the Packers during their careers.
The result is a list of 63 players that have donned purple and gold as well as green and yellow during their careers, but some have been more impactful than others.
So now, we’ll look at seven notable players who have made the jump and how their roles changed as part of one of the fiercest rivalries in the NFC North.
7 notable Minnesota Vikings who also played for the Green Bay Packers
Brett Favre - QB
When it comes to players who have made the biggest impact, Brett Favre is in a class of his own.
Favre tormented the Vikings during his 16 seasons in Green Bay, posting a 17-14 record with 54 touchdowns and 33 interceptions in 31 starts against Minnesota. While part of it is quantity-driven, only the Detroit Lions (26) and Chicago Bears (23) lost to Favre more times than the Vikings did and it led him to become the enemy of the state.
That changed in the summer of 2009. One year after he was traded to the New York Jets to make room for Aaron Rodgers, Favre came close to retiring only to sign with the Vikings once he was released by New York. That 2009 season was magical for Minnesota as they went 12-4, won the division, and made it to the NFC Championship.
Favre couldn’t duplicate his success in 2010 and retired after his second season with the Vikings but his relationship with the Packers was strained until his No. 4 jersey was retired by Green Bay in 2015.
Although many will remember him as a Packer, his two seasons in Minnesota made an impact.