For most of his career, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was entangled in a battle with Peyton Manning for the title of best quarterback of their generation. The two produced a number of epic games and won seven of the 15 Super Bowls during the Brady-Manning era.

But all the while a third quarterback, New Orleans Saints star Drew Brees, was accompanying the two up the all-time charts and winning a Super Bowl of his own in 2009.

With Manning now long retired, a new rivalry has formed between Brady and Brees as they chase career milestones. While Brady’s six Super Bowls are likely out of reach for Brees, there are a number of tight battles in all-time major passing categories between the two.

Touchdown passes

 

All-Time Leaders: Touchdown Passes

Rank Player Total
1 Peyton Manning 539
2 Drew Brees 520
3 Tom Brady 517
4 Brett Favre 508
5 Dan Marino 420

Brees and Brady are just three touchdowns apart and trail only old friend Manning by 19 and 22 respectively for first on the all-time list. Brees threw 32 touchdowns last season and has thrown 30 or more in 10 of the last 11 seasons. Brady had 29 touchdowns last season but has thrown for 30 or more in three of the last five seasons. Barring injury, both Brees and Brady should surpass Manning this season and it could come down to who plays longer for the all-time record.

Passing yards

 

All-Time Leaders: Passing Yards

Rank Player Total
1 Drew Brees 74,437
2 Peyton Manning 71,940
3 Brett Favre 71,838
4 Tom Brady 70,514
5 Dan Marino 61,361

Brees already leads this category by 2,497 yards but there should be a new No. 2 on the list at some point this season. Brady sits fourth on the list but is only 1,426 yards behind Manning for second place. He’ll have a harder time tracking down Brees, but he has thrown for more yards than the Saints’ pivot the past two seasons. Brady has cut into Brees’ still healthy lead by 606 yards since 2016.

Pass completions

 

All-Time Leaders: Pass Completions

Rank Player Total
1 Drew Brees 6,586
2 Brett Favre 6,300
3 Peyton Manning 6,125
4 Tom Brady 6,004
5 Dan Marino 4,967

Another category Brees already leads, and after he finished with similar completion totals to Brady the past two seasons, the lead appears safe for at least a couple more seasons. Brady has averaged 380 completions his last two seasons, so should have no trouble jumping to No. 2 as early as this season.

A look at other milestones that could be achieved this season.

Receptions – Larry Fitzgerald

 

All-Time Leaders: Receptions

Rank Player Total
1 Jerry Rice 1,549
2 Tony Gonzalez 1,325
3 Larry Fitzgerald 1,303
4 Jason Witten 1,152
5 Marvin Harrison 1,102

The 36-year-old is returning for a 16th season and is only 22 receptions behind Tony Gonzalez for second on the all-time list. After three straight seasons of 100+ receptions, Fitzgerald finished with 69 receptions last year. If he jumps Gonzalez, the career Arizona Cardinals receiver would be second behind only Jerry Rice in both receptions and receiving yards.

Fitzgerald is also just 10 touchdowns away from the Top 10 on the all-time list, but has scored just six touchdowns in each of the last three seasons and hasn’t hit 10 scores since 2013.

Rushing Yards – Frank Gore

 

All-Time Leaders: Rushing Yards

Rank Player Total
1 Emmitt Smith 18,355
2 Walter Payton 16,726
3 Barry Sanders 15,269
4 Frank Gore 14,748
5 Curtis Martin 14,101

Gore rushed for 722 yards last year with the Miami Dolphins at 35-years-old, but the question is how much work he gets with the Buffalo Bills this season, his 15th in the NFL. That kind of longevity from a running back is almost unheard of in today’s NFL, but if Gore can stay healthy he’s only 521 yards behind Barry Sanders for the third most rushing yards all-time.

Sacks – Terrell Suggs

 

All-Time Leaders: Sacks

Rank Player Total
1 Bruce Smith 200
2 Reggie White 198
3 Kevin Greene 160
4 Julius Peppers 159.5
5 Chris Doleman 150.5
t9 R. Dent/J. Randle 137.5
t13 Terrell Suggs 132.5

Another veteran still producing well into his 30s, the 36-year-old Suggs finished with seven sacks for the Baltimore Ravens last season. After 16 seasons with the Ravens, Suggs will play his 17th with the Cardinals. He’s currently tied for 13th in career sacks with 132.5, but only five back from the Top 10 and only ninth back from sixth overall.