There have been nine 5,000-yard passing seasons in NFL history. Drew Brees has five of them.
Brees topped the 5,000-yard mark for the 2016 season today in Atlanta, making it the fifth time in the last nine seasons that Brees has reached the 5,000-yard mark. No other player in NFL history has even reached 5,000 yards twice. Only Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Dan Marino and Matthew Stafford have done it once.
Unfortunately for Brees, he’s doing it on a day when little else is going right for the Saints. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is playing a great game and closing in on 5,000 yards for the season himself, although he might not get there because the Falcons have a 35-13 lead and will likely run the ball for most of the fourth quarter.
Perhaps next year, Brees can throw for 5,000 yards for a sixth time — and the Saints can have a better team around him, so he’s not reaching 5,000 yards in a meaningless Week 17 game.