Aaron Rodgers becomes the ninth player to reach 60,000 career passing yards in NFL history. NFL records observe another milestone in the New York Jets quarterback's spectacular career on Sunday, per regular-season games.
The 40-year-old New York Jets quarterback crossed the 60,000 milestone after connecting with Tyler Conklin on a 7-yard completion in the third quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
During the match, which ended 23-17 in favor of the Minnesota Vikings, Aaron Rodgers joined a list that includes Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Brett Favre. Other members of the elite list include Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan, and Dan Marino.
Ryan was the eighth player to join the list and the second fastest to arrive at Aaron Rodgers' milestone (223 games). Brees was the swiftest, arriving at the mark in 215 games. Before Sunday's match, Rodgers required 96 passing yards to hit the 60,000 mark.
He eventually threw 244 yards with two touchdown passes and three interceptions against Vikings, adding up to 60,148 yards passing at regular-season games.
Additionally, Rodgers passed Marino on Sunday for seventh on the NFL’s list for total yards passing in both regular-season and playoff games. He achieved the feat after only throwing 74 passes in the game.
How Aaron Rodgers Became Ninth Player to Reach 60,000 Career Passing Yards Milestone
Despite a historically bad first quarter, Jets' quarterback Aaron Rodgers had the ball with 3:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, 70 yards away from a potential game-winning touchdown. The New York Jets intentionally hired the veteran for moments like this, expecting him to deliver in situations that have overwhelmed many previous quarterbacks.
However, Rodgers couldn't meet the team's expectations on Sunday. He drove the Jets into scoring territory but threw his third interception to seal a 23-17 loss to the Vikings. That was undoubtedly one of the worst games of his career – save that it also saw him join a fraternity of the game's elite. No doubt, Sunday's game might just further convince the Jets to concede to Rodgers’ quarterback wishlist for his team.
After the game, Rodgers said, "Obviously, that was below my standards." He went on to lament his three turnovers saying "In a game we lose by six, plays like that are exponentially highlighted. So, three turnovers for me is definitely out of character and I'm disappointed."
His first interception turned out the costliest – a 63-yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. Rodgers said he lost track of Van Ginkel and ended up throwing the ball right to him. The second interception was an overthrow meant for Allen Lazard, while the third was an underthrow to Mike Williams at the Vikings' 9-yard line with 44 seconds left.
Closing Notes
New York Jets' Aaron Rodgers emerges as the ninth player to reach 60,000 career passing yards per NFL record. Although the game was self-described as one of Rodger's career-worst, it made history as one that saw the future Hall of Famer join the league's elite names like Tom Brady and Drew Brees.