NFL Legend Brett Favre Reveals Symptoms Ahead of Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis

Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre has opened up about the symptoms he experienced that led to the discovery he was suffering from Parkinson's Disease.

Favre told TMZ Sports he was diagnosed with the disease in January after having trouble using his right arm and hand in the summer of 2023.

TMZ noted Favre originally told them he was having trouble with the arm and hand in August 2023, but he requested they didn't report it at that time.

Favre publicly revealed he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease on Tuesday during a congressional hearing about welfare reform in Washington D.C.

TMZ said that Favre gave them permission to run with the story after he went public with the information. The Green Bay Packers legend told the news outlet his arm would get "stuck" at times, and there were times he would push it down, forget about it and a short time later "it would be right back there."

It wasn't until Favre was having issues getting his right arm into the sleeve of a jacket that he decided to visit a doctor.

"I felt my arm," Favre explained, "the strength was there, but I could not guide it. And it was the most frustrating thing."

Favre went on to say that after his diagnosis he visited five different specialists who told him they believe the disorder likely stems from "head trauma" he might have experienced during his football career since it doesn't run in his family.

Research has shown that traumatic brain injuries can lead to increased risk of Parkinson's Disease later in life. Favre has previously said he knew about "three or four maybe" concussions he suffered playing football, but the actual number could have been in the "hundreds, maybe thousands" based on what we know about them know.

A three-time NFL MVP, Favre played 20 seasons in the NFL with four different teams. He is best known for his 16-season stint with the Packers from 1992 to 2007. He led the team to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in 1996 and '97, beating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 31 for the franchise's first title in 29 years.