Tom Brady on pace to break long-standing Peyton Manning NFL record

By the time Tom Brady retires, it'll be a massive surprise if he doesn't hold every record possible for a quarterback in NFL history. Brady became the all-time leading passer in NFL history this season, surpassing the record held by Drew Brees.

Brady is on pace to break another record held by one of his former peers, Peyton Manning. That record is the most passing yards in a single season.

With the NFL adding a 17th game to the schedule in 2021, it'd take an injury or uncharacteristically poor game for Brady not to earn the record.

Tom Brady is on pace for 5,848 yards, which would shatter Peyton Manning's record.

Through six games, Tom Brady is playing like a 24-year-old rather than a 44-year-old. Brady has 2,064 yards, an average of 343.3 passing yards per game.

He's on pace to break Manning's single-season passing yardage total.

Manning set the record in 2013 when he was 37 years old. In 2013, Manning had the best season of his entire career, throwing for 5,477 yards.

He also had 55 touchdowns, an NFL record that even Brady will struggle to top.

Tom Brady will be able to break Manning's record for a multitude of reasons. First, his offensive line has done an outstanding job of protecting him, which has kept him healthy and at his best.

Secondly, he has a wide receiver trio that's even better than the trio Manning had in 2013.

Manning had Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Wes Welker as his top targets. He also had a reliable red-zone threat at tight end in Julius Thomas.

Tom Brady has an even better cast of weapons in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown, who's experiencing a career resurgence. He also has Rob Gronkowski, who he has a long-standing chemistry with.

Will anything stand in the way of Tom Bready breaking Manning's record?

The biggest obstacle that could stand in Tom Brady's way is opposing defenses. Brady has earned the right to be the league leader in yards because he's been willing to take shots downfield. But the right defense could slow him down.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers face the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints twice each. They will also go against the Buffalo Bills, who have the NFL's most well-rounded defense.

Despite this, there's a strong likelihood Tom Brady will break Manning's record this season. Having the 17th game on the schedule means stats are going to be inflated to a degree.

Plus, there's little reason to doubt Brady after the many times he's proven doubters wrong.

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