3 Underrated NFL storylines for the 2020 season
By Dustin Baker
Underrated 2020 NFL storyline: Will Brees and Brady play hot-potato with passing TD record?
Oh, this one would be enjoyable. As it stands, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees holds the all-time passing touchdown record with 547. Tom Brady skulks behind him with 541 passing touchdowns.
In a season where the two men could miss games (they’re old) to injury or COVID-19, a variance of six touchdowns passes for all the marbles is incredibly slim. Especially with the historic heft of the record.
If the Saints turned away from Brees for whatever reason in favor of Taysom Hill, Brady could creep in and kidnap the crown. Or vice versa. Brady could brush up against a Peyton Manning-like cliff circa 2015 and be ineffective.
There is also a hot-potato scenario. If Brady starts hot in Tampa with all of his newfound weapons, he may rack up the scores. Six touchdown passes in today’s NFL could be ascertained in a game-and-a-half and nobody would be stunned. We would then find ourselves embroiled in McGwire-Sosa like warfare for the touchdown record.
Also, there is no determined endgame. Either man or neither man could play into the 2021 season, so the chase for the record will have an unknown stopping point. Unless one of the men comes out with a retirement tour announcement.
Side note: The closest active quarterback (other than Tom Brady) to Brees’ touchdown record is Philip Rivers. He would need to play about six more seasons of 25-touchdown-per-season football to become the touchdown king. And that’s if Brees and Brady immediately retire after reading this article.