There have been 12 instances in NFL history where a quarterback threw for 5,000 yards. Drew Brees did it five times in his career, while Peyton Manning holds the single-season record with 5,477 yards.
Matthew Stafford has one 5,000-yard season on his resume and another with 4,967 yards, and he could very well eclipse both of those numbers in 2021 now that the league moved to a 17-game schedule. It’s also possible that someone will throw for 6,000 yards for the first time ever.
Stafford wouldn’t be surprised if someone did it, even saying he thinks a quarterback will.
“I don’t even want to think about that number. That’s crazy. I’m sure somebody will. I don’t know who led the league in passing last year, but I bet it’ll happen,” he said Tuesday.
Will it be him?
“I don’t know, maybe. But I don’t care if it is or not. I just want to win,” he replied.
In order for someone to top 6,000 yards passing, he would have to average 353 yards per game. In Manning’s record-breaking 2013 season where he threw for 5,477 yards, he averaged 342.3 yards – 47 yards more than he ever averaged in a single other season.
So is it possible? Absolutely. Brees averaged 320 yards per game five times on his own. With how pass-heavy the league has become, no one should be surprised if someone breaks the 6,000-yard mark.
