Matthew Stafford Passes Dan Marino In Passing Yards: It Means A Lot, He Was Unbelievable

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford moved ahead of Dan Marino on the NFL's all-time passing yardage leaderboard today, and afterward he said it was an honor just to hear his name alongside one of the greatest quarterbacks in history.

Stafford said he has dreamed his entire life of being like Marino and the other great quarterbacks, and that it meant a lot to him today to move up to No. 9 all-time in passing yards.

"I love this game, I love the history of it," Stafford said. "I remember being a little kid watching NFL Films growing up. I was watching cartoons, everyone was watching that. It means a lot. I don't think about it on a daily basis, but when it comes up, I have a ton of reverence and respect for this game and the people that have come before me and played it. So just to be mentioned with those guys is really humbling and something that I'm sure when I'm done playing I'll think about more. It's one of those pinch yourself moments when you think, 'Man, I remember watching him doing his thing, and just thinking he was unbelievable.' Being able to be in the same breath is pretty cool."

Stafford now has 61,493 yards in his NFL career. Marino retired after the 1999 season with 61,361 passing yards. At the time Marino retired, that was the all-time record, although as passing offenses have proliferated, Marino's total has been topped many times, and Marino is now in 10th place.

The NFL's all-time leader in passing yards is Tom Brady with 89,214. That record is out of reach for Stafford or anyone else for many years. But Stafford is moving his way up the list of the most productive passers ever, and today he passed a very big name.