What Is It Going to Take To Beat Favre's Records?

Brett Favre has all the big quarterback records in the NFL. If he were to quit today, which isn't going to happen, what would it take for the other quarterbacks to surpass these milestones?  Which quarterbacks have the best chance of bumping Favre down to No. 2 in the record books? Let's explore the possibilities.

The Records:

As of October 20, 2009, the 40 year old Brett Favre has the following records:

Passing Attempts 9,458

Passing Completions 5,844

Yards Thrown 66,474

Touchdowns 476

Interceptions 312

Winning Games 175

Consecutive Starts 275

The Competition

Here is what the competition would have to average every year until the age of 38 if Brett Favre were to retire today. Of course, Favre is still playing and every week passes with ground gained and/or lost during the course of the season.

I picked five popular QB's around the league and left out the ones (Kerry Collins, Donovan McNabb) who appear unlikely to have much gas left in the tank to make a run for the big records. Numbers are rounded.  

Quarterback	Seasons Until Age 38	Attempts	Completions	Yards	TD	INT	Wins
Peyton Manning	5	663	374	3,840	26	29	11
Tom Brady	6	927	565	6,384	45	37	14
Drew Brees	8	706	567	4,852	38	26	14
Eli Manning	10	701	447	5,046	37	24	13
Aaron Rodgers	13	669	412	4,665	34	23	13

Why did I make this list?

I compiled this list to educate anyone making claims about X or Y quarterback potentially taking Favre's all-time records away. Some claims are legitimate while others are far reaching. It doesn't mean all of these quarterbacks have obtained amazing feats on their own as Tom Brady has championship rings and Super Bowl MVP awards for most to be jealous of.

Other QB's on the list are early in their career and have a long way to go, and people (I'm looking at you, GB PACKERS FANS) need to be informed how difficult it will be to obtain Favre-like numbers.

Who can knock out Favre?

One man: Peyton Manning. These numbers assume all players retire at age 38. Peyton Manning probably has the ability to play for longer if he stays healthy. At his current pace, Manning will likely be passing up Favre's records 4-5 years after the man finally takes a final knee.

With 275 consecutive games under his belt, that record will be the most difficult to obtain.  When Favre retires, Manning will have to play five seasons and an additional 14 games to steal that one away.  This means Manning must play injury-free until he's 39!

Unfortunately for Favre, it looks like the person who may beat his interception record may not even be born yet.

Statistically, Favre and Manning will be No. 1 and No. 2 on lists for many years to come. Be glad that you are witnessing these living legends take the field.