When talking about the best quarterbacks in the NFL in the decades of the 80s and 90s, it is undeniable to put Dan Marino, of the Miami Dolphins, on a par with Joe Montana, of the San Francisco 49ers, and John Elway, of the Denver Broncos, despite never having won a Super Bowl.
The greatness of the Pro Football Hall of Fame member is due to the great numbers he put up in an era in which throwing the ball was not a priority as it has been in recent years. Marino accumulated so many yards that at the time he retired he was the all-time leader in the entire NFL with 61,361. Currently, he occupies eighth position behind Tom Brady (89,214), Drew Brees (80,358), Peyton Manning (71,940), Brett Favre (71,938), Ben Roehtlisberger (64,088), Philip Rivers (63,440) and Matt Ryan (62,729).
Now, in an interview with Kevin Clark, the native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, considers that if he were to play today he could throw for 6,000 yards in a season because offenses favor the passing game more than the ground game.
“The best part about this is that I’m retired and I don’t have to show it,” said the Dolphins’ all-time leader in passing yards. “Yes, we would throw 6,000 yards… It would be a lot of fun. I wish he could play.”
Furthermore, the former Dolphins QB assured that if he could throw the ball to Jerry Rice and Randy Moss along with Emmitt Smith as running back everything would be easier.
The best season in yards thrown was the second of his professional career, 1984, when Marino reached 5,084 and also threw for 48 touchdowns. The Dolphins’ top receivers that season were Mark Clayton and Mark Duper, with 1,389 and 1,306 yards respectively.
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The NFL single-season passing yards record
Dan Marino’s 5,084 yard record lasted 27 years due to the exploits of Tom Brady and Drew Brees in the 2011 NFL season. The then New England Patriots quarterback threw for 5,235 yards while the New Orleans Saints quarterback broke the record by reaching 2,476.
However, by 2013, Peyton Manning established a milestone that no longer seems so unattainable. The quarterback was in his second season with the Denver Broncos and threw for 5,477 yards. It is very likely that this record will have a new owner in the coming years since in 2022 Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs added 5,250 yards.
2023-09-14 18:50:44
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