Most passing yards in NFL history: Tom Brady becomes all-time leader against Patriots in Week 4

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v New England Patriots
Tampa Bay Buccaneers v New England Patriots

Tom Brady marked his return to Foxborough by becoming the NFL's all-time passing leader against the New England Patriots.

Brady's list of accomplishments will continue to grow as he seemingly has no plans to retire any time soon. It's taken Brady 22 seasons to reach the top of the passing yards leaders list and it will likely take just as long for another quarterback to surpass the seven-time Super Bowl champion.

But who did he pass to reach the top of the list? Here's a look at the top five passing leaders.

Who did Tom Brady pass to become #1 on the passing leader list?

#5 - Phillip Rivers - 63,440 yards

Phillip Rivers may have never won a Super Bowl, but he always was a yardage machine. Rivers spent most of his career with the Chargers before spending a year with the Indianapolis Colts in 2020. River spent 17 seasons in the NFL before officially retiring earlier this year.

#4 - Brett Favre - 71,838 yards

Brett Favre had a historic career after becoming the stalwart quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. He played 16 seasons for the Packers before spending the 2008 season with the New York Jets. He spent his final two seasons in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings. Favre retired in 2010 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

#3 - Peyton Manning - 71,940 yards

NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning comes in at #3. The legendary quarterback spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and another four with the Denver Broncos. He won one Super Bowl with both teams.

#2 - Drew Brees - 80,358 yards

Drew Brees was the passing leader before Brady surpassed him against the Patriots in Week 4 of the 2021 NFL season. Brees was drafted in 2001 by the San Diego Chargers before he was sent to the New Orleans Saints.

Brees was only able to win one Super Bowl championship after spending 15 seasons with the Saints. Drew Brees officially retired this year and is sure to be a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee.

#1 Tom Brady - 80,359 yards

Brady had 80,291 career passing yards heading into Week 4. He became the NFL's all-time passing yards leader with a 28-yard pass to wide receiver Mike Evans.

Tom Brady can now add the all-time passing leader record to his growing NFL resume. On top of this prestigious honor, he already holds the record for most passing touchdowns, most wins, and most passing yards thrown in the playoffs.


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