NFL legend Tom Brady is closing in on an unprecedented record as he could reach 100,000 passing yards in his career when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Brady is just 164 yards shy of the milestone - which account for both regular season and playoffs - and the mark will undoubtedly add another layer to his greatness ahead of his contemporaries. It is a remarkable sign of the 45-year-old’s endurance as he looks to lead the Bucs to a crucial win over the Super Bowl champion Rams in Florida.
Arguably more so than any other mark the seven-time Super Bowl champion has reached, the achievement of 100,000 passing yards is truly incredible. The only other quarterbacks with more than 70,000 combined passing yards are retired: Drew Brees (85,724), Peyton Manning (79,279), Brett Favre (77,693) and Ben Roethlisberger (70,060).
Green Bay Packers quarterback and four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers (63,054) and Indianapolis Colts star Matt Ryan (64,415) are the two active players closest to Brady, but they are still some way off his mark. Their situations also suggest they won’t challenge Brady’s total, as Rodgers has teased retirement for years while Ryan was benched last week for the remainder of the season after suffering a shoulder injury.
It also highlights how Brady has been a permanent and successful figure in the postseason, dominating with the New England Patriots and Buccaneers to sit over 14,000 yards clear of second-place Brees. Brady has consistently outperformed his rivals in both the regular season and the playoffs when it matters most.
His longevity is showcased by the fact that - at 44 years of age - Brady led the NFL in passing yards as he threw for a career-high 5,316 yards in 2021. His first Super Bowl win came at the conclusion of the 2001 season while the GOAT claimed his seventh and latest ring at Super Bowl LV in February 2021.
Brady has led the NFL in passing yards on just four occasions during his career, while his 266.2 passing yards per game across his career lands him ninth all-time. It is undoubtedly impressive, but it also places him behind the likes of Matthew Stafford and Ryan. Brady’s career has been defined by making not necessarily the most explosive play, but the right one.
When Brady entered the NFL in 2000 as the 199th pick in the draft, Dan Marino held the record for passing yards and touchdown passes (420) while John Elway had more wins (149) than any other quarterback. Brady has claimed all three: he almost has 100,000 passing yards as well as 719 touchdown passes and 281 wins.
Brady rarely stops to consider the individual accolades as he continues to claim NFL records. After throwing his 700th touchdown pass across both the regular season and the playoffs last year, Brady said: “I don't think about those things. People kinda tell me they happen. That's pretty cool.
“I keep some jerseys and stuff like that. It's just amazing to have people share in all those great accomplishments, but, obviously, to me, I feel like they're all team awards, anyway.”
For the first time in 20 years, Brady has suffered a three-game losing streak following defeats to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Carolina Panthers and the Baltimore Ravens to leave the Buccaneers with a 3-5 record. The quarterback will hope to return to form and lead the Bucs to victory in a divisional-round rematch from January’s playoffs.
