Tapp-ing into the Numbers: 40 Packers Stats Until Opening Kickoff (No. 39)

By JERRY TAPP

Although Aaron Rodgers fell short in his bid for a third MVP Award last season (Atlanta QB Matt Ryan was selected the league MVP), his performance will still go down as one of the greatest by a QB in NFL history. Rodgers finished the season with a league-leading 40 TD passes, passed for 4,428 yards, had a 104.2 Passer Rating, and threw only seven interceptions for the season.

Let’s take a look at those four stats noted above and see where they rank in NFL history.

40 TD Passes in a Season: Last season was the second in Rodgers’ career where he had 40+ TD Passes. Only eight quarterbacks have ever thrown for 40 or more TDs in a season, and Rodgers is now one of only four (Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Dan Marino) to have multiple seasons with 40 or more TD passes.

40 TD Passes and 4,000 Yards Passing in the Same Season: For the sixth time in his career, Rodgers had 4,000 or more passing yards in a season. He is now tied with six other QBs (Eli Manning, Brett Favre, Dan Marino, Carson Palmer, Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford) with six 4,000-yard passing seasons. Peyton Manning leads the league with 14 seasons with 4,000+ yards passing. He is followed by Brees (11 such seasons) and Tom Brady and Philip Rivers, each with eight seasons of 4,000 yards passing. The 2016 season was the second of Rodgers’ career with 40 TD passes and 4,000 yards passing in the same year. Brees, Peyton Manning and Marino also have two such seasons in their careers.

40 TD Passes, 4,000 Yards Passing and a 100.0 Passer Rating in the Same Season: Only six quarterbacks in NFL history have had 40 TD passes, 4,000 passing yards and a 100.0 Passer Rating in the same season. Rodgers joins Peyton Manning as the only QBs to achieve these numbers in two different seasons (Manning did it in 2004 and 2013; Rodgers did it in 2011 and 2016). Four QBs reached these numbers in a season once in their careers: Kurt Warner, Dan Marino, Drew Brees and Tom Brady.

40 TD Passes, 4,000 Yards Passing, a 100.0 Passer Rating, and fewer than 10 Interceptions in the Same Season: Here’s where Rodgers has really set himself apart from the other QBs in NFL history. Rodgers and Tom Brady are the only QBs to reach these numbers in an NFL season, and now Rodgers has done it twice (2011 and 2016). Brady amassed these numbers in his 2007 campaign.