Tom Brady is on the doorstep of even more NFL history. While it may be lost in the hoopla of the quarterback’s looming return to Foxborough to face his former team in the New England Patriots in Week 4, Brady needs just 68 more yards through the air to leapfrog over former Saints legend Drew Brees for the all-time passing yards record that currently stands at 80,358 yards. Speaking on Tuesday, Brees noted that he is ready to see Brady surpass him on the all-time list, saying that he is a “firm believer that records are meant to be broken.”
Brees himself was able to surpass Peyton Manning for the record in impressive fashion as he chucked a 62-yard touchdown in the Superdome during ”Monday Night Football.” Against his former team in the midst of Sunday Night Football, Brees is hoping Brady can reach new heights in a similar way.
“I’d be all for Brady just launching the first play of the game, just go ahead and get it out of the way,” Brees said, via Jenna Laine of ESPN. “You said he needs, what? Sixty-eight yards? Let’s have New England kick it in the end zone, start at the 25 and have him launch one to Mike Evans and let’s just be done with it.
“There’s no doubt I think that’s gonna get knocked down pretty quick. I can’t think of a guy who has invested more into his career and his preparation and kind of what he’s meant for the game. It’s definitely a special record because it speaks to the longevity that he’s been able to experience and the level that he’s been able to play at.”
It will be curious to see how the Patriots decide to deal with Brady likely breaking the record at Gillette Stadium in the midst of this homecoming. When Brees broke the record, the game stopped for several minutes as he was greeted by Pro Football Hall of Fame president David Baker along with his wife and kids, who were on the sideline. Of course, Brees was playing at home when he broke his record and while Brady effectively built Gillette Stadium into what it is today, he’s technically a visitor on Sunday.
No matter how it’s dealt with, this record-breaking moment is just another added wrinkle to what is already primed to be an epic matchup.
