Famous Packers who have jumped ship and joined Vikings out of spite
There are few NFL rivalries as storied and intense as the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings. These two NFC North foes have met up 125 times through the years, and the Packers have the edge historically, winning 65 of those battles compared to 57 for the Vikings (three games have ended in a tie). But sometimes the battle between the Vikings and Packers extends beyond the field and into NFL free agency.
As a matter of fact, a number of Packers players through the years have left Green Bay and signed with Minnesota, some of them seemingly to spite the Packers. And in a number of prominent cases, there's nothing "seemingly" about it. The spite is direct and deliberate.
What are some of the most famous cases in Packers history of players signing with the Vikings out of spite?
1. Greg Jennings, WR
Greg Jennings was an outstanding pickup for the Green Bay Packers as a second-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He became a Pro Bowl receiver for the Packers and go-to threat in the passing game near the end of Brett Favre's time with the team and at the beginning of the Aaron Rodgers era.
Jennings was a key piece of Green Bay's offense in their Super Bowl run during the 2010 NFL season and had over 300 receiving yards in that particular playoff stretch. Jennings was an absolute star in Green Bay and played seven seasons as a Packer before being let go after the 2012 season. Upon leaving the Packers, Jennings went straight to Minnesota and began talking about how he was "brainwashed" by the Packers.
"Everything that you know in Green Bay is like 'the best, the best, the best, the best, the best', and it's like total brainwashing. I think you don't open your eyes to see what other teams have to offer unless you are in that position, and I was afforded this position."
- Greg Jennings in 2013 (via B/R)
Jennings spent two seasons with the Vikings and went 0-3-1 against the Packers. He caught just nine passes in four games against Green Bay as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. The revenge idea didn't exactly work out.