Brett Favre says he didn’t mean to hurt Mark Gastineau when he helped Michael Strahan get off the plate

Former New York Jets defensive end Mark Gastineau remains upset that Brett Favre gave Michael Strahan his record-setting sack in 2001, and Favre says he understands why.

In 1984, Gastineau set the NFL single-season record with 22 sacks. Seventeen years later, in the final week of the 2001 season, Strahan was credited with a sack of Favre in the final minutes of the New York Giants’ loss to the Green Bay Packers, which gave Strahan 22.5 points for the season. On what appeared to be a planned running play, Favre didn’t pass the ball, but instead kept it and rolled in Strahan’s direction before sliding and giving the pass rusher the record.

Gastineau was present at the game and hugged Strahan after he broke the record.

But on Tuesday, ESPN shared a clip from the upcoming 30 for 30 documentary “The New York Sack Exchange.” The footage shows Gastineau confronting Favre at a memorabilia exhibition in 2023, leading to a tense exchange.

Twenty-two years after Mark Gastineau lost the NFL’s single-season sack record, he called out Brett Favre for “jumping” on the record-breaking play.

Catch the latest @30for30“The New York Sack Exchange,” on ESPN and ESPN+ beginning December 13. pic.twitter.com/Oz5KRwVcy7

– ESPN (@espn) December 10, 2024

In the clip shared by ESPN, Gastineau walks up to Favre at the Chicago Sports Spectacular in 2023. Favre tries to extend his hand for a handshake, but Gastineau showed no interest and instead begins an intense exchange.

Favre suggests to Gastineau that they have met before.

“Yeah, right – when you fell in love with him,” Gastineau says. “I will get my bag back. I’ll get my sack back, dude.”

“You would probably hurt me,” Favre says.

“Well, I don’t care,” Gastineau says. “You hurt me. You hurt me! Do you hear me?”

“Yes, I understand you,” says Favre.

“You really hurt me. You hurt me, Brett,” Gastineau says before Favre is turned away by someone else at the event.

Favre responded to the release of the video clip in a series of posts later on Tuesday

I’d like to clear the air on the footage released showing a minor argument between myself and former New York Jet Mark Gastineau, so here’s a 🧵.
(1)

— Brett Favre (@BrettFavre) December 11, 2024

“At no time did I think about hurting Gastineau,” Favre wrote. “Maybe it occurred to me to help Strahan. I didn’t think it through. That wasn’t my strength back then.

“Looking back, I understand how Gastineau feels. We played a brutal game. Gastineau was set in a time when men did not achieve generational wealth. I now see how the role of Sack King would increase his value at card shows, strengthen his case for the Hall of Fame and increase his demand as a public speaker.”

Gastineau never reached the semifinals in Hall of Fame voting, despite being a three-time first-team All-Pro, a five-time Pro Bowler, and one of only three players (along with JJ Watt and TJ Watt) with two 19-game seasons – plus sacks since the statistics were officially released in 1982.

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“Do you know how long I thought about (not being in the Hall of Fame)? A long time,” Gastineau said during a sit-down interview released in the trailer.

Since Strahan broke the record almost 23 years ago, TJ Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers has tied the record in 2021. Justin Houston (2014) and Jared Allen (2011) each surpassed Gastineau with 22 in a season.

(Photo: Bettmann / Getty Images)