Dan Marino is undoubtedly one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever grace an NFL field. The Dolphins legend broke many records at the time, notably in 1984. For his second season in the league, Marino threw 5,084 yards for 48 touchdowns, unreal numbers for the time.
So, what would a Dan Marino look like in the NFL of 2023, much more focused on the passing game and much more protective of its quarterbacks? ESPN’s Kevin Clark asked him the question.
“The best part is that I’m retired and I don’t have to prove it. Yes, I would throw for 6,000 yards. It would be a lot of fun. I wish I could do it. »
After his record season in 1984, it was not until 2008 that Drew Brees passed the symbolic 5,000 yards mark. The NFL record is held by Peyton Manning, who in 2013 reached 5,477 yards with the Broncos. Less than 400 yards more than Marino, but 29 years later. Since then, about one quarterback has crossed the threshold each year, proof that the game has changed.
“You can’t hit the quarterback like you used to. You can’t get hit in the head, they can’t tackle you in the knees. And I think that’s a good thing because when I was playing, you were allowed to do that. Players might attack you. »
Today, quarterbacks are much more protected, excessively according to some, and the game is much more vertical. There is no doubt that Dan Marino would have broken the yardage counters in today’s NFL. From there to reaching 6000 yards? Unfortunately, we will never know.
