Drew Brees: NFL’s New All-Time Passing Leader

He did it in front of his home crowd and among one of his best 18-year career games. Drew Brees became the NFL’s all-time passing yards leader, surpassing Peyton Manning.

Starting the 2018 season, Brees was one of three quarterbacks with at least  70,000 yards in passing. Peyton Manning held the record with Brett Favre in second. Coming into Monday nights game, Brees was separated from Manning by 200 yards.

When it Happened

In the second quarter of the game, Brees launched a 62-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Tre’Quan Smith fittingly putting Brees into the record book. The NFL then stopped the game as planned to recognize Brees’ accomplishment.

https://twitter.com/NFLUK/status/1049559210529185792

Brees 71,968 career passing yards surpassed Mannings 71,940 making Brees the new record holder.

Manning congratulated Brees in a video that was shown in the stadium when he broke the record.

https://twitter.com/Broncos/status/1049474759509983232

Change of Plans

The Saints ran a similar play in the beginning of the game and instead with Cameron Meredith. Brees’, thinking on his feet, made the throw to Smith, giving him his first career touchdown pass.

“It makes me proud, and it makes me extremely grateful for the opportunity to play this game and to have played it as long as I’ve been able to play it, to have wound up in New Orleans, which you all know that story. So it’s just been an unbelievable journey and I’m just so grateful,” said Brees.