Matthew Stafford continues his relentless climb up the NFL record books. The Los Angeles Rams quarterback locked down his spot at sixth place on the league’s all-time passing touchdown list Monday night, officially moving past Philip Rivers with his third score of the game. This isn’t just another number, people, this is a career milestone that adds serious shine to an already stacked résumé, including an MVP award and a Super Bowl title.
Climbing Past a Legend, Right Now
Stafford entered Monday night with 423 career touchdown passes, needing just three to blast past Rivers, who finished his legendary career with 425. And what did Stafford do? He delivered. After slinging two earlier touchdown passes to Davante Adams and Kyren Williams, Stafford found the end zone for that crucial third time, hitting 426 career passing touchdowns. Boom! Sole possession of sixth place, just like that. This milestone is even sweeter when you remember he was held without a touchdown pass in their season-opening loss to San Francisco. Talk about a bounce-back performance when it mattered most, showing everyone he’s still got that clutch factor.
A Hall of Fame Trajectory
You gotta appreciate the grind. Stafford didn’t just appear on this list out of nowhere. He entered the 2026 season already sitting seventh all-time, having passed Dan Marino late last season. Think about that for a second: Marino, one of the all-time greats, is now behind him. Stafford’s thrown 282 touchdown passes during his 12 seasons with Detroit and added a whopping 144 with the Rams. That’s a total of 426 career passing touchdowns across two franchises, continually building one of the most productive passing résumés in league history. This guy is a warrior, pure and simple, and he just keeps adding to his legacy.
The Next Mountain: Brett Favre
So, who’s next? The name sitting ahead of Stafford is a massive one: Brett Favre. The gunslinger currently ranks fifth all time with 508 passing touchdowns. Do the math, folks: Stafford would need another 83 touchdown passes to catch him. That’s a significant gap, for sure. The NFL actually pointed out before the season that Favre’s mark was probably out of reach for Stafford during this 2026 campaign. But let’s be real, his current position on this exclusive list is absolutely remarkable. Only Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Favre have thrown more regular-season touchdown passes than Stafford. At 38 years old, and coming off an MVP season where he led the NFL with 46 touchdown passes, Stafford is showing no signs of slowing down. His latest milestone proves his career résumé keeps expanding, even as he enters the later stages of his incredible career. Keep watching, because this climb isn’t over yet.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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