Which of Brady’s NFL Records Is Within Rodgers’ Reach?

Having decided to return to the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers will continue his chase for a second Super Bowl and the NFL record book.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Some of the NFL’s legendary quarterbacks have retired over the past 12 months. After the 2020 season, Drew Brees and Philip Rivers called it quits. With Tom Brady retiring after the 2021 season and Aaron Rodgers deciding to return to the Green Bay Packers, here is what that means for the four-time MVP and his assault on the NFL’s lists of career passing leaders.

Completions

Career: Brady is first with 7,263, Brees is second with 7,142, Brett Favre is third with 6,300 and Rodgers is 10th with 4,651.

Active: Atlanta’s Matt Ryan is first with 5,242, Rodgers is second and Matthew Stafford is third with 4,302.

Rodgers, who turned 38 in December, would need eight good seasons to pass Brady.

Passing Yards

Career: Brady is first with 84,520, Brees is second with 80,358, Favre is fourth with 71,838 and Rodgers is 10th with 55,360.

Active: Ryan is first with 59,735, Rodgers is second and Stafford is third with 49,995.

Rodgers would need to average 4,166 yards the next seven seasons to pass Brady. For reference, Rodgers threw for 4,115 yards this season.

Passing Touchdowns

Career: Brady is first with 624, Brees is second with 571, Favre is fourth with 508 and Rodgers is fifth with 449.

Active: Rodgers is first with 449, Ryan is second with 367 and Stafford is third with 323.

This is the interesting number. Rodgers trails Brady by 175. In three seasons under coach Matt LaFleur, Rodgers has averaged 37.0 touchdown passes. That’s the number he reached in 2021. If Rodgers plays five more seasons and hits that average, he’d end the 2026 season with a record 634 touchdowns.

Rodgers broke Favre’s Packers record for touchdown passes when he threw No. 443 against Cleveland in December.

“To be a part of history like that with this franchise is something I’m really proud of and extremely grateful for,” Rodgers said. “The opportunity to play here for so long, to have my path crossed by so many incredible, influential people along the way, from coaches and players and teammates to front-office individuals, weight-room folks and training-room folks, and everybody on the third floor that I’ve gotten to know over the years, this is a special place. To be a part of history like this is not lost on me at all. Really grateful for all my years here and the response from the fans.”

Now, for a few lesser but still impressive milestones.

Passing Touchdowns for One Team

Career: Brady is first with 541, Brees is second with 491 and Rodgers is third with 449.

Active: Rodgers is first with 449, Ryan is second with 367 and Seattle’s Russell Wilson is third with 292.

If Rodgers returns, two of his 2020-style seasons could get him past Brady.

30-Touchdown Seasons

Career: Brees is first with 10, and Brady, Favre and Peyton Manning are tied for second with nine.

Active: Rodgers is first with eight and Seattle’s Russell Wilson is a distant second with five.

Under LaFleur, Rodgers has seasons of 26, 48 and 37 touchdowns.

Pick-Sixes

Career: Favre is first (or worst) with 31. Among the legends who have retired over the past year, Brees is tied for fourth with 27, Rivers is seventh with 25, and Brady and Roethlisberger are tied for 17th with 18. Rodgers is tied for 248th with three.

Active: Stafford is first (or worst) with 27 and Ryan is second with 19.

Tom Brady vs. the Packers

Nov. 19, 2006: Patriots 35, Packers 0

Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes while Brett Favre completed only five passes before exiting with an injured elbow. Aaron Rodgers replaced Favre and went 4-of-12 for 32 yards before exiting with a broken foot that ended his season.

“When you can count the number of first downs on one hand, it’s embarrassing,” center Scott Wells said.

Dec. 19, 2010: Patriots 31, Packers 27

With Aaron Rodgers out with a concussion sustained the week prior at Detroit, Matt Flynn went toe to toe with Tom Brady. Flynn was excellent, throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns, and the Packers outgained the Patriots 369-249. How did Green Bay lose? Lineman Dan Connolly returned a kickoff 71 yards to set up a touchdown late in the first half, Flynn threw a pick-six to start the second half and Flynn fumbled on the Patriots’ 15 on the final play.

“I don't care what you guys think. We came here to win. We’re nobody’s underdog,” coach Mike McCarthy famously said afterward. His team would not lose the rest of the season en route to winning the Super Bowl.

Nov. 30, 2014: Packers 26, Patriots 21

Aaron Rodgers threw for 368 yards and two touchdowns as the Packers held off Tom Brady in what seemed like a potential Super Bowl preview. Brady had the Patriots on the doorstep of winning but Ha Ha Clinton-Dix broke up a pass near the goal line to Rob Gronkowski and Mike Daniels and Mike Neal combined to sack Brady on third down. A Rodgers-to-Randall Cobb completion on third-and-4 iced the game.

“We have some big goals, and we’re getting into December football now with a chance with everything right in front of us,” Rodgers said.

Nov. 4, 2018: Patriots 31, Packers 17

Aaron Rodgers threw game-tying touchdowns to Davante Adams and Jimmy Graham but the Patriots dominated the fourth quarter. Aaron Jones fumbled, and James White’s 1-yard touchdown made it 24-17. After the Packers went three-and-out, Tom Brady hit Josh Gordon for a 55-yard touchdown. Brady threw for 294 yards and one score.

“He’s been the gold standard at quarterback for two decades,” Rodgers said.

Oct. 18, 2020: Buccaneers 38, Packers 10

Green Bay bolted to a 10-0 lead and had the ball again when Aaron Rodgers threw an interception that Jamel Dean returned 32 yards for a touchdown. One play changed everything as the Buccaneers won in a rout. Rodgers had a 35.4 passer rating in one of the worst days of his career while Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes.

“That sh** happens,” Rodgers said of just the third pick-six of his career. “I haven’t had a lot of those over the years. But the wind was blowing pretty good right to left. I felt good about the spot. I knew it was tight, we’ve hit throws like that, but I missed on my spot by probably a foot or so. And the kid made a good play.”

Jan. 4, 2021 (NFC Championship): Buccaneers 31, Packers 26

Aaron Rodgers threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns. Tom Brady threw interceptions on three consecutive possessions in the second half. None of it mattered, though. In an empty Lambeau Field, it was Brady celebrating an NFC Championship Game victory and yet another trip to the Super Bowl. And it was Rodgers contemplating his future.

“I don’t know, I really don’t,” Rodgers said. “There’s a lot of unknowns going into this offseason now. I’m going to have to take some time away, for sure, and clear my head and just kind of see what’s going on with everything. But it’s pretty tough right now, especially thinking about the guys that may or may not be here next year. There’s always change. That’s the only constant in this business. It’s really tough to get to this point. Really, really tough, especially with there being only one bye week in the playoffs. It’s a grind just to get to this point. And that makes the finality of it all kind of hit you like a ton of bricks. That’s why it’s a gutting feeling in your stomach. Ugh.”