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Justin Herbert vs. Peyton Manning stats: How close is Chargers QB to breaking Hall of Famer’s unique record?

Justin Herbert has a chance at making unique NFL history in Week 17. 

If there is one word to describe Herbert’s play, it’s gunslinger. The Chargers quarterback is known for his massive arm, showcasing an ability to air the ball out down the field and rack up tons of passing yards. 

In fact, Herbert is closing in on an NFL record that is owned by another extremely talented quarterback — Peyton Manning. The Hall of Famer currently owns the mark for the most passing yards through the first five years of a quarterback’s career as a starting QB, accumulating more than 20,500 passing yards to begin his NFL career. 

Herbert may not find himself in MVP conversations year in and year out, but he has been incredibly consistent since breaking into the league five years ago. The No. 6 overall pick in 2020 has established himself among the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks, and he has a chance to cement himself in NFL history this weekend against the Patriots. 

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Here’s how close Herbert is to breaking Manning’s unique passing record.  

Justin Herbert vs. Peyton Manning stats

Herbert has a chance to make NFL history in Week 17. 

The Chargers quarterback is closing in on the mark for the most passing yards through a quarterback’s first five seasons as a starter in the league. He is 153 yards away from surpassing Manning’s total of 20,618, which he accumulated through the 1998-2002 seasons. Herbert enters the Week 17 game against New England with 20,466 passing yards to start his NFL career. 

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Justin Herbert Year Peyton Manning
4,336  Year 1 3,739
5,014 Year 2 4,135
4,739 Year 3 4,413
3,134 Year 4 4,131
3,243* Year 5 4,200
20,466* Total 20,618

* = stats entering Week 17 of 2024 NFL season

Those that will be quick to argue that Herbert had more games to rack up yards should think again. If the Los Angeles star completes the feat this weekend, he will have passed Manning’s record while playing in two less games. 

Manning played in every single game through his first five seasons, totaling 80 games in that span. While the Hall of Famer was healthy for the 16-game campaigns, the same can’t be said for Herbert. He missed games during the 2020 and 2023 seasons, meaning the Week 17 game against the Patriots is his 78th career contest. 

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Most passing yards in first five seasons

Herbert is currently 2nd on the list for most passing yards as a starting quarterback, but who else is on the list?

Among active quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow all find themselves on the list. Burrow is the only one still accumulating yards for the specific record, as he is also in his fifth season as a starter. The Bengals QB was taken first overall in the same draft as Herbert. 

Here is a look at the top-10 in that list. 

Rank QB Passing Yards in first 5 seasons as starter
No. 1 Peyton Manning 20,618
No. 2 Justin Herbert* 20,466
No. 3 Jameis Winston 19,393
No. 4 Andrew Luck 19,078
No. 5 Patrick Mahomes 18,991
No. 6 Matt Ryan 18,957
No. 7 Derek Carr 18,739
No. 8 Ryan Tannehill 18,455
No. 9 Josh Allen 18,323
No. 10 Joe Burrow* 18,312

 * = stats entering Week 17 of 2024 NFL season

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