Peyton Manning retired from the NFL in 2016 as the league’s all-time leader in touchdown passes, having scored 539 times through the air in his lengthy career. That put him ahead of the former record-holder, Brett Favre (who set the previous high-water mark with 508, ahead of Dan Marino’s 420), by a sizable margin.
But records are meant to be broken. And two Hall of Fame-bound quarterbacks have Manning’s accomplishment in their sights: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and New England Patriots passer Tom Brady.
Here’s how the top five shapes up right now, though only Brees and Brady remain active:
- Peyton Manning (539)
- Tom Brady (531)
- Drew Brees (528)
- Brett Favre (508)
- Dan Marino (420)
With just six games left to play in the 2019 regular season, both Brees and Brady may be hard-pressed to match Manning.