Some records seem untouchable until one great quarterback refuses to slow down. Football fans truly live for those moments. They remind us that greatness can keep growing long after most careers have faded into memory.
Aaron Rodgers just delivered one of those moments on the field. He moved past Peyton Manning on a famous list, and the achievement says a lot about his staying power in a very tough league.
A Sunday that made NFL history
The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Indianapolis Colts 34-22 on Sunday, improving to 3-2. Rodgers also moved past 2 famous quarterbacks in the record books, passing Peyton Manning in combined career touchdown passes and Ben Roethlisberger in regular-season wins as a starting quarterback.
Rodgers is 42 and playing his 22nd NFL season. Few quarterbacks remain productive that deep into a career, making his continued climb through the NFL record book especially notable.
The opponent added another layer to the milestone. Indianapolis selected Manning No. 1 overall in 1998, and he spent the first 14 seasons of his NFL career with the Colts before finishing with Denver.
The play that broke the tie
Rodgers and Manning sat tied at 579 career touchdown passes, counting the playoffs. The tie came after a Week 4 loss to Cleveland. Rodgers needed one more score to claim sole possession of third place.
The moment came in the first quarter. Rodgers hit running back Jaylen Warren for an 80-yard score. It was his 580th touchdown pass, and he took a shot from Grover Stewart on the throw.
Rodgers was not finished. He threw two more touchdown passes to tight end Pat Freiermuth later in the game. Those scores pushed his career total to 582 and gave him three touchdowns on the day.
Where Rodgers now stands all-time
Only two passers sit ahead of Rodgers now. Tom Brady leads with 737 touchdown passes. Drew Brees ranks second with 608, which means Rodgers is still chasing two true giants of the sport from behind.
That puts Rodgers 26 touchdowns behind Brees after Sunday. Catching Brady is simply not realistic with 155 scores to go. Still, second place may come into view if Rodgers stays hot over the final stretch.
Rodgers built that huge total over many years with three teams. He started with the Packers and later played for the Jets. Now he is adding to it in Pittsburgh in his final NFL season.
Peyton Manning and his Colts legacy
Indianapolis selected Manning No. 1 overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. He led the Colts to 11 playoff appearances during his years as their starting quarterback, and the franchise later honored him with a statue outside Lucas Oil Stadium.
Manning remains the only player to win 5 Associated Press NFL MVP awards. He was selected to 14 Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Manning threw an NFL-rookie-record 28 interceptions in 1998. Indianapolis finished 3-13 that season before making a dramatic turnaround to 13-3 in 1999.
From draft day slide to stardom
Rodgers came out of Cal as one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2005 NFL Draft. He attended the draft in New York expecting to be selected early, but team after team passed before Green Bay finally made its move.
Rodgers waited about 4½ hours in the green room before the Packers selected him No. 24 overall. Fans at Green Bay’s draft party booed the pick loudly enough for team officials in the building to hear them.
With Brett Favre already established as Green Bay’s starter, Rodgers spent his first 3 NFL seasons as a backup. He took over the starting job in 2008 and went on to become one of the most accomplished quarterbacks of his generation.
A Super Bowl twist in Pittsburgh
Rodgers knows the Steelers well from the other side. He led Green Bay to a 31-25 victory over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV following the 2010 season.
Rodgers threw 3 touchdown passes and was named Super Bowl MVP. Years later, he is wearing a Steelers uniform after once defeating Pittsburgh on the sport’s biggest stage.
Pittsburgh signed Rodgers to a 1-year deal for the 2025 season. He helped the Steelers win the AFC North while throwing for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns in 16 regular-season starts.
Little-known fact: Preseason once felt like the Super Bowl to Rodgers. Now he calls it “not real football” and prefers watching with a headset on. He has played nearly as long as rookie Drew Allar has lived.
Father time still cannot catch him
Rodgers completed 22 of 31 passes for 235 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Colts. It was his third consecutive game with at least 3 touchdown passes, matching a Steelers franchise feat previously accomplished by Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger.
Rodgers threw 3 interceptions across those 3 games, but they were not evenly distributed. He threw 1 against Cincinnati, 2 against Cleveland and none against Indianapolis while producing 9 touchdown passes over the stretch.
At 42, Rodgers continues to produce significant passing performances. Pittsburgh hopes his experience and recent touchdown production can help keep the Steelers in postseason contention during his final NFL season.
Why this farewell season matters
Rodgers says this 2026 season will be his last in the NFL. “This is it,” he told reporters this spring after signing again. Every record he adds becomes part of a long and emotional goodbye.
Rodgers thought his time in Pittsburgh was over, but Mike McCarthy changed his mind. He led Green Bay as head coach from 2006 to 2018. The Steelers hired him after Tomlin stepped down in January.
The next goal is catching Brees for second place on the list. A big run late in the year could get Rodgers there. Either way, passing Manning already gave this farewell season a thrilling headline.
TL;DR
- Aaron Rodgers passed Peyton Manning for 3rd on the NFL career touchdown-pass list when regular season and postseason are combined.
- He broke the tie with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Warren in a 34-22 win over the Colts.
- Rodgers now has 582 career touchdown passes when the playoffs are included.
- Only Tom Brady and Drew Brees remain ahead of him.
- Rodgers has thrown 3 touchdown passes in each of his past 3 games for Pittsburgh.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
