NESN

Dan Marino Thinks NFL Passing Records Will Be Broken in Near Future, Calls Tom Brady and Wes Welker ‘Very Instinctive’

With quarterbacks putting up some crazy numbers through the first five weeks of the season, it's obvious that the NFL has become a pass-heavy league. Hall of Famer Dan Marino thinks this means his single-season passing yards record will be broken in the near future, according to The Associated Press.

Marino's record has stood since 1984, when he threw for 5,084 yards. Drew Brees came extremely close to the record in 2008, when he threw for 5,069 yards, marking only the second time in league history that a quarterback has thrown for over 5,000 yards.

This season, however, there are a number of quarterbacks who could threaten Marino's long-standing record. As The Associated Press points out, if the league's passers continue at their current pace this season, Brees, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo and even rookie Cam Newton would surpass Marino's total. Philip Rivers and Matthew Stafford would come close to the mark.

There's obviously a lot of football to be played and a lot can change between now and the end of the season, but Marino sees some changes in the way the game is played that should allow his record to be broken before long. There's stiffer penalties for hits on quarterbacks and more versatile receivers, while wide-open, spread offenses have become more common.

Marino, who joked that he doesn't want anybody to break his record, compared the Tom Brady-Wes Welker connection to the connections he had with Mark Clayton and Mark Duper during his playing days.

"They're very instinctive," Marino said. "They've been together for a while now. They understand coverages. Wes Welker probably understands what Tom Brady is thinking at the line of scrimmage."