No quarterback in NFL history has thrown for more yards than Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. Unfortunately, Manning broke the record on one of his worst days as a professional.
Manning, the ultimate signal-caller of this pass-heavy era, is the new all-time passing yards leader after passing Brett Favre on Sunday during the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs. The record has stood at 71,838 yards since Favre walked away from football after the 2010 season. Manning, who played 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, set it during his fourth season as a member of the Broncos.
Breaking the record must hold special meaning for Manning, who is not shy about his love for NFL history. He just didn't have time to enjoy the record for long. Manning, who was on the injury report with a foot issue, was benched midway through the third quarter after throwing four interceptions. He finished 5-of-20 passing for only 35 yards. Brock Osweiler took over with the Broncos trailing 22-0.
Manning's day started poorly. His first pass attempt Sunday was an interception to Kansas City rookie cornerback Marcus Peters on a bomb down the middle of the field. He subsequently set the record on a four-yard pass to running back Ronnie Hillman with 10:37 left in the first quarter against Kansas City set the record in a scoreless game. With the pass, Manning moved to 71,840 career passing yards.
Officials briefly stopped the game when Manning broke the mark to recognize the achievement. Manning recognized a huge ovation from the crowd, although he looked eager to move on to the team's ensuing third-down play. Manning has a chance to break Favre's all-time regular-season wins record (186) with a victory over the Chiefs as well.
It looks like Manning will have to wait at least another week to set that wins record. And this performance is only going to raise more questions about his ability to continue running this Gary Kubiak offense for the rest of the season.
