Since its inception in 1957, the NFL's AP MVP award is the most prestigious honor for any player. Only the elite few gain serious consideration for the award, and even fewer win it. Once a player has been named MVP, they have etched their names into NFL history books and will remain there in perpetuity.

However, the league's fiercest competitors are seldom satisfied with just one MVP; the game's competitive nature leads to athletes who always want more. Six players have won three or more MVPs, but Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre is the only person to win it three seasons in a row.

Favre's Early Years

It took Favre many years to reach MVP form

Coming out of Southern Mississippi, Brett Favre was the ultimate gunslinger. He had a booming arm and the ambition to use it whenever possible. This aggressive mindset and propensity for parties made him a polarizing prospect in the 1991 NFL Draft. He was eventually taken by the Atlanta Falcons 33rd overall, but head coach Jerry Glanville quickly lost patience with his young quarterback.

After one season and only four pass attempts, Favre was traded to the Packers for a 1992 first-round pick. Favre’s arrival to Green Bay coincided with head coach Mike Holmgren’s. Holmgren himself was a former quarterback and specialized in offense. In addition to his background leading offenses and quarterbacks, Holmgren liked Favre, which Glanville never did.

This newfound trust from the coaching staff led to an optimal learning environment. Favre threw for 3,227 yards and 18 touchdowns in 1992. Although this season wasn’t terribly impressive, it laid the foundation for a historic run from Favre and Holmgren.

Favre's Historic Peak

Making history during his prime came naturally

In 1995, Favre secured the first of his eventual three MVPs. Throwing for 4,413 yards, 38 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, he led the Packers to an 11-5 record and an NFC Championship Game Appearance. Favre and the Packers fell to the Dallas Cowboys, but the season instilled optimism into the franchise. The Packers came within arm’s reach of the franchise’s first Super Bowl in nearly 30 years, and their quarterback was looking like an all-time great.

Favre wasn’t only the best quarterback in the league but also one of the most exhilarating to watch. He was a big game hunter with an unquenchable thirst for the big play. While this occasionally got him in trouble, it also led to a surplus of explosive plays. Most notably, Favre hit Robert Brooks for a 99-yard touchdown in a regular season matchup with the Chicago Bears. The Packers were becoming must-see television, and that wasn’t going to change any time soon.

Favre repeated as MVP in 1996. Although his yardage and completion percentage took a step back, he still led the league in passing touchdowns, posting a career-high of 39. Green Bay returned to the postseason, this time making the Super Bowl. The Packers defeated the New England Patriots 35-21 to become champions.

In the victorious effort, Favre earned the dubious distinction of being the first quarterback to have three total touchdowns for the winning team and not win Super Bowl MVP. The honor instead went to Desmond Howard, who returned a 99-yard kickoff for a touchdown.

As the 1997 season rolled around, some fans and media members had grown tired of Favre. He had won the last two MVP awards and led the Packers to a Super Bowl win. This fatigue should’ve favored the rest of the field in MVP voting, but Favre was too good for it to affect him.

He led the league in passing touchdowns for the third straight season and helped bring Green Bay back to the Super Bowl. There, the Packers fell to John Elway’s Denver Broncos. Favre threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough. Unknown to many, this game marked the end of Favre’s peak.

Favre didn’t make an All-Pro or Pro Bowl team in 1998, and Holmgren left for the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason. The absence of his trusty head coach coupled with dwindling youth, Favre became a frustrating quarterback. He still had moments of greatness, but they gradually became more sparse, and the interceptions piled up, making him a net negative sometimes. Still, Favre retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns and passing yards and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Favre’s career represents a different time in the NFL. While he only retired in 2010, the game and expectations of its quarterbacks have changed drastically in the years since. There will always be a place for aggressive quarterbacks who live and die by the big play, but that place no longer typically leads to Canton.

Later Years & Favre's Complex Post-Playing Legacy

The idiosyncrasies of Favre's game make him difficult to compare to current greats

Favre’s career marks have held up relatively well. He’s fourth in career passing yards and passing touchdowns, though he will continue to fall as time goes on.

All things considered, it’s hard to deny that Favre’s legacy has taken a hit. From an on-field perspective, he was succeeded by Aaron Rodgers, who won four MVPs and is on the verge of passing Favre in touchdowns and yards, all while doing so with a historically low interception rate.

Rodgers doesn’t make Favre an inherently worse player, but he’s made it arguable that Favre isn’t even the best quarterback in franchise history. Furthermore, Favre has been plagued by poor decisions that have tainted his standing with the public. Most recently, he’s been accused of misusing Mississippi state welfare funds and was sued in February.

Nevertheless, winning three consecutive MVPs was an unprecedented feat yet to be matched. Even if someone eventually joins this exclusive club, Favre will always be its first member.

Nevertheless, winning three consecutive MVPs was an unprecedented feat and one that has yet to be matched. Even if someone eventually joins this exclusive club, Favre will always be its first member.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise