Brett Favre spent 20 years getting hammered on NFL fields by the biggest, fastest linebackers on the planet.
He played through injuries that would've ended lesser quarterbacks' seasons.
But Brett Favre's podcast update just revealed the harsh reality of his Parkinson's battle.
NFL Legend Opens Up About Daily Struggle With Disease
The Hall of Fame quarterback gave Americans a sobering look at what life with Parkinson's disease really looks like during the latest episode of his "4th and Favre" podcast.
Favre revealed the diagnosis publicly in September 2024 when testifying before Congress about the Mississippi welfare scandal.¹
Now at 55 years old, Favre detailed how the disease affects him every single day.
"I'm probably like most people — I thought there was just one Parkinson's and that was it. There's not. There's multiple, many forms of Parkinson's," Favre explained on his podcast.²
The type Favre has features three different dominant characteristics: cognitive and memory issues, shaking and tremors, or rigidity and stiffness.
"I major in the rigidity and stiffness," Favre said.²
Most people associate Parkinson's with the visible shaking seen in figures like Muhammad Ali or Michael J. Fox.
That's not what Favre deals with on a daily basis.
"I get from time to time, 'Oh you must not be too bad because you don't shake.' I have very little shaking. I have some, but it's pretty rare," Favre stated.²
The reality is far worse than most people realize.
Morning Routine Reveals Devastating Physical Toll
Favre painted a stark picture of what his mornings look like before medication kicks in.
"So, when I wake up in the morning before I take my medicine, I'm as close to a 2 by 4 as you could possibly get," Favre revealed. "And once I take my medicine, it's like the muscles and the joints kind of ease their grip on me."²
The medication provides temporary relief, but the window is limited — Favre takes medicine every four hours to manage his symptoms.
"I can only imagine what I look like, but I feel like a pretzel," Favre said in a September interview. "Everything is so rigid. I take the medicine and 20 minutes later, at least in my mind, it's like a total new body."³
When fatigue sets in toward the end of the day, the tremors that most people associate with Parkinson's start appearing.
"When I get fatigued, mainly toward the end of the day, I do shake a little bit," Favre noted.²
Favre also revealed he's developed difficulty swallowing, another common symptom of Parkinson's that signals disease progression.
"I have a hard time swallowing. One of the doctors, out of the blue, said, 'How's your swallowing?' And I was like, 'It's not as easy as it was,'" Favre told Steele.³
The Price of Playing America's Most Violent Sport
Favre's diagnosis has reignited the debate about the connection between football and neurodegenerative diseases.
The legendary quarterback admitted in a 2018 interview that he believes he suffered "hundreds, maybe thousands" of concussions during his playing career.⁴
"Every time my head hit the turf, there was ringing or stars going, flash bulbs, but I was still able to play," Favre told the Today show in 2018. "That's what's kind of frightening about the concussion thing. It's the ones that seem minor that do the damage."⁴
Research backs up Favre's concerns about the cumulative damage from repeated hits.
A 2020 study found that having a single concussion increased the risk of developing Parkinson's disease by 57%.⁴
Multiple concussions compound that danger even further.
A 2023 study published in JAMA Network Open found that former football players had 61% higher odds of developing Parkinson's or related symptoms compared to athletes who played other organized sports.⁵
The Boston University CTE Center has found chronic traumatic encephalopathy in 345 of 376 deceased former NFL players studied — a staggering 92% rate.⁶
CTE has been directly linked to increased rates of Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases.⁶
No Cure, Just Management As Disease Progresses
Favre acknowledged the grim reality during his podcast appearance — there is no cure for Parkinson's disease.
"As you well know, there's no cure. I hear from time to time, 'Well, they're five years away from a cure.' I hope that that's the case. But I'm not holding my breath," Favre stated.²
Parkinson's is a progressive disease, meaning symptoms gradually worsen over time.
Current treatments focus on managing symptoms and slowing progression, not stopping or reversing the disease.
Favre's cognitive and memory functions remain intact for now, but that's one of the three main symptom categories that could deteriorate.
The quarterback who once orchestrated some of football's most memorable drives now faces uncertainty about his long-term cognitive future.
"My cognitive memory — part of it, right now it's OK," Favre said cautiously.²
Favre noted that his father died from a massive heart attack at age 56 — just one year older than Favre is now.
Despite the physical toll football took on his body, Favre believes he's taken better care of himself than his father did.
"Here I am at 55, and I know we were talking about my dad, and he died at 56. I'm almost there," Favre reflected. "But I have taken way better care of myself, even though [playing] football is not taking real good care of yourself."³
The NFL legend who once seemed invincible on the field now provides a sobering reminder of the long-term price many players pay for their time in America's most violent sport.
¹ Anthony Olivieri, "Brett Favre reveals Parkinson's diagnosis at congressional hearing," ESPN, September 24, 2024.
² Ryan Gaydos, "NFL legend Brett Favre shares update on tough battle with Parkinson's disease," Fox News, December 31, 2025.
³ "Brett Favre details 'scary' battle with Parkinson's, progression of disease after NFL career," CBS Sports, September 6, 2025.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Aria Bendix, "Brett Favre's Parkinson's diagnosis reignites questions about football's link to brain disease," NBC News, September 25, 2024.
⁶ "List of NFL players with chronic traumatic encephalopathy," Wikipedia, accessed December 31, 2025.