Trent Green Says At Least Ten Will Throw For More Than 10,000 Yards

Once a rarity, the 4,000-yard passing season is now fairly common. 
Every year, a handful of players (sometimes a few more) cross the
threshold that, prior to 1979, had been eclipsed only once, by Joe
Namath of the AFL in 1967.

The single-season record is seven, set in 2007.  Last year, six quarterbacks threw for more than 4,000 yards.

Retired quarterback Trent Green, serving as the first-ever guest writer of Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback, thinks that at least 10 quarterbacks will generate 4,000 or more passing yards in 2009.

Green flags six of them as guaranteed, and seven as having a shot.

The guaranteed:  Drew Brees of the Saints, Peyton Manning of the
Colts, Tom Brady of the Patriots, Kurt Warner of the Cardinals, Philip
Rivers of the Chargers, and Aaron Rodgers of the Packers.

The possible:  Jay Cutler of the Bears, Matt Cassel of the Chiefs,
Carson Palmer of the Bengals, Matt Schaub of the Texans, Donovan McNabb
of the Eagles, Tony Romo of the Cowboys, and Matt Hasselbeck of the
Seahawks.

The first 4,000-yard season after Namath’s in 1967 came in 1979,
with the full-blown arrival of Air Coryell.  Since 1979, there has been
no 4,000-yard passer in only one non-strike season.

Wisely omitted from Green’s list is Brett Favre.  Even though Favre
undoubtedly will be playing for the Vikings, the passing game there
will only complement a strong running game.

But Favre wasn’t omitted from Green’s writing.  The soon-to-be
39-year-old doesn’t fault the soon-to-be 40-year-old Favre for wanting
to play.  Like the rest of us, however, Green is sick of the
back-and-forth, will-he-or-won’t-he that has dominated most of the
second half of Favre’s career.

“I think I’m going crazy because I feel like we’ve been talking
about Brett Favre and his retirement since the new millennium,” Green
writes.  “You want to play, Brett?  I hope you do.  I’ve always enjoyed
watching you play.  But please decide by the start of training camp.”

Actually, the retirement talk started in 2002, when Favre mused
about it to the guy who’s vacation has opened the door for Green to
weigh in on the matter — Peter King.