Tom Brady Passes Brett Favre on All-Time Passing Yards List

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has just added another record to his resume during a battle with the Washington Redskins. Entering Sunday’s game, the 20-year veteran needed 264 passing yards to pass Brett Favre and move into third place on the all-time passing yards list. Facing this Washington defense, achieving this goal seemed inevitable, and Brady fulfilled that expectation during the game.

With 7:03 remaining in the third quarter, Brady dropped back and found Julian Edelman for a 15-yard completion. He only needed eight yards to pass Favre, but this play guaranteed that he moved up in the record books. Additionally, this put Peyton Manning squarely in his sights.

Brady had been in fourth place since passing Dan Marino in 2016, but he has moved up in the record books with this pass against the Redskins.

Despite missing nearly the entire 2008 season, Brady still entered Sunday with 71,575 passing yards in his career. This included 10 seasons in which he topped 4,000 yards through the air and one in which he reached the 5,000-yard mark. Brady has been known for his consistency despite the constantly-changing receiving corps.

There were certainly seasons in which he paired with big-play weapons such as Wes Welker, Randy Moss, Josh Gordon, and Julian Edelman, but this rotation was not guaranteed every season. Brady also suited up with veteran receivers that struggled to adapt to the Patriots’ requirements.

Now that Brady has passed Favre, he has the opportunity to chase down the former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback in Manning. The two-time Super Bowl champion sat a mere 365 yards ahead of Brady entering the weekend, but now that gap has been closed by a considerable amount.

When Brady passes Manning, he will move into second place in the all-time passing yards list, just behind New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees. Chasing down the Saints star may not as simple considering that he has 74,845 yards and is 3,270 yards ahead of Brady. Additionally, Brees is still active despite missing time due to thumb surgery.

At this point, Brady has guaranteed his future enshrinement in the Hall of Fame, but that will not take place until he retires. For now, he will simply continue producing while searching for yet another AFC East title and a seventh Super Bowl ring.

Will Brady pass Manning during this pursuit of more victories? It’s almost guaranteed, but chasing down Brees will be another matter entirely.