Dan Marino is widely considered one of the best pure passers to ever step on the gridiron, and he didn't even play in an era where the aerial attack was at a premium.
In today's game, throwing for 5,000 yards is not out of the ordinary, and just a year ago, we saw Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes finish with over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns. Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal-caller Jameis Winston reached the 5,000-yard plateau this season.
So in an NFL that has turned into a passing league, what types of numbers would Marino, who threw for over 5,000 yards himself back in 1984, post if he were playing today?
Marino was asked on Fox Sports' First Things First about what stats he would post if he were playing in the modern era, and he replied by jokingly saying he could throw for 6,000 yards and 60 touchdowns:
How many passing yards could Dan Marino have in today's NFL?
"Since I don't have to prove it, I could stand here and tell you I could throw for 6,000 yards, 60 TDs. No problem." — @DanMarino pic.twitter.com/pyB4EWiXHf
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) January 15, 2020
Of course, Marino isn't entirely serious, but he does say that he legitimately thinks he and multiple other quarterbacks from his time would have hit 5,000 yards today.
We already know that Marino could, given that he did it almost 40 years ago during his second NFL season.
The Miami Dolphins legend led the league in passing yards five times during his 17-year NFL career, and during that famed 1984-85 campaign, Marino also threw 48 touchdowns.
If prime Dan Marino were playing today, there is little doubt that he would be able to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns. Of course, Marino was also known for throwing interceptions, so he may have done a whole lot of that, as well.
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