Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning broke Brett Favre’s all-time passing touchdowns record in the second quarter of the team’s Sunday Night Football matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.
With roughly three minutes remaining in the first half of the game—which the Broncos won, 42-17—the 38-year-old quarterback hooked up with WR Demaryius Thomas on an eight-yard strike. It was the 509th TD pass thrown in his 17-year career.
Manning’s teammates had some fun with him afterward on the sideline. They knew he wanted the record-setting ball, so they tried to play “keep away” for a bit with it.
Favre had said earlier in the day he didn’t care that Manning would eventually break his record during an appearance on NFL GameDay Morning. The former Packers, Jets and Vikings quarterback retired following a loss in the 2010 NFC Championship Game.
“I don’t really care to be honest with you and I mean that with no disrespect. I think the world of Peyton. I’m not surprised that he’s going to break it,” Favre said.
Manning’s reign is far from over with more records—namely Favre’s all-time passing yards (71,838)—waiting to be broken. Through this point in Sunday night’s game, No. 18 is on pace to throw 48 touchdown passes on the year—something he has done just two other times in his illustrious career (a then-record 49 in 2004, and 55 last season). On pace for well over 4,000 passing yards once again this season, Manning also owns the record for having accomplished that feat 13 times.
Peyton Manning sets the NFL record for most career passing touchdowns with his 509th. pic.twitter.com/EfWs2xp0yW
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 20, 2014
With 10 more regular season games to go, the Broncos quarterback should far exceed Favre’s total by season’s end. He will have a commanding lead over all those who actively trail him (Tom Brady and Drew Brees each have 372). And should he continue to play beyond this season, it’s hard to imagine another player ever throwing as many touchdown passes as the five-time MVP winner has managed during the course of his career.
[FanSided]
