Brett Favre Just Gave Heartbreaking Details About His Battle With Parkinson's

Brett Favre Parkinson's — Credit: Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Legendary NFL quarterback Brett Favre revealed his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease during a congressional hearing focused on welfare reform in September.

Now, in an interview with TMZ Sports, the Green Bay legend has provided some health updates that are difficult to hear from a man known for his grit and determination on the gridiron.

Favre said that while he “can’t complain” about how things are going, he’s definitely experiencing some symptoms from the neurodegenerative disease.

“With my Parkinson’s, the main side effect is rigidity and stiffness,” he added. “I have a little bit of shaking, but not much. But, rigidity and stiffness.”

“When I wake up in the morning, I feel like a board,” Favre further explained. “I don’t need any help because of football to be any stiffer. But, all things considered, I’m a very blessed man.”

Favre’s Difficult Battle With Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder leading to motor symptoms like uncontrollable tremors. It also leads to non-motor symptoms such as cognitive changes and mood disorders.

There is no cure for the disease. Most readers are probably aware of the devastating effects of the disease due to actor Michael J. Fox’s battle.

Favre shocked the sports world with his revelation before Congress. He made an appearance because the state of Mississippi is suing the Hall of Famer for his alleged involvement in a welfare scandal.

Favre denied any wrongdoing in the case. He claimed that he was unaware that any funds used to pay his speaking fees were designated for welfare programs. He claimed he was duped by shady public officials and never knew where the money was coming from.

“Sadly, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others, and I’m sure you’ll understand why it’s too late for me because I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s,” Favre told lawmakers.

During his opening statement before Congress, @BrettFavre says he's recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Full video here: https://t.co/bANW0t3SK6 pic.twitter.com/IFQzqC847M
— CSPAN (@cspan) September 24, 2024

What Was The Cause?

Repetitive head trauma and CTE have been linked to Parkinson’s disease – in some cases, not all. It can also be genetic, scientists suggest.

In Favre’s case, though, he says five separate specialists all told him it’s likely due to the brain injuries he suffered while playing NFL football. Favre famously played for 321 games straight, which is by far an NFL record.

“They all [the specialists] said the same thing,” Favre has said. “‘If it’s not in your family’ – and there’s none on either side of my family – ‘then the first thing we look at is head trauma.’”

“Well, hell, I wrote the book on head trauma,” he added.

Favre, a three-time National Football League MVP, has openly questioned whether or not he has cognitive lapses potentially caused by CTE. He believes that he suffered over 1,000 concussions during his playing career.