One of the subplots of the 2019 NFL season is the passing touchdowns race between New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and the New England Patriots' Tom Brady. Both should surpass Peyton Manning's career total touchdowns record before the end of the season, but the bigger question has emerged as who will be No. 1 after the record is broken.

Right now the record stands at 539 by the retired future Hall of Fame signal-caller Manning. Brady is one touchdown behind while Brees, 40, is one behind the six-time Super Bowl champion, per Saints Wire.

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It's been back and forth this season between Brees and Brady, the former of whom missed five games during the middle of the season due to an injury to a ligament in his right thumb. Nevertheless, besides playoff-bound teams shuffling and vying for postseason seeding, Manning's soon-to-be broken record is a major storyline to watch in the remaining couple of weeks of football. It should also be interesting to see how much leash the Patriots and Saints' respective head coaches give their veteran quarterbacks, as they could instead be seated and rest for the upcoming playoffs.

Brees and the Saints play the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night in primetime, giving the 12-time Pro-Bowler an opportunity to break Manning's milestone—and leapfrog Brady—in front of a national audience. Furthermore, the Colts will be starting rookie quarterback Will Grier against New Orleans, possibly giving Brees more time with the ball in his hands if the Saints' defense can make short work against the first-year third-round selection.