SPORTS

Matthew Stafford closes in on Peyton Manning record

Justin Rogers
The Detroit News
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and rookie Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky meet on the field after the 27-24 Detroit victory over Chicago.

Allen Park – Matthew Stafford is on the verge of eclipsing yet another statistical milestone.

With 127 passing yards in Thursday’s Thanksgiving matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, the Detroit Lions quarterback will pass Peyton Manning for the most all-time for a player under 30 years old.

Peyton racked up 33,189 yards before his 30th birthday. After throwing for 299 yards in a victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Stafford sits at 33,063. He won’t turn 30 until the offseason.

Stafford, in his ninth season, is already 36th on the NFL’s all-time passing yards list and is on pace to crack the top 30 by season’s end. His 277.8 yards per game ranks second all-time to only Drew Brees.

Stafford isn’t even halfway to Manning’s all-time yardage mark, trailing the future Hall of Famer by 38,877 yards. At his current pace, Stafford would need to play until 2025, without missing a game, to break the mark.

Notable

Lions coach Jim Caldwell didn’t have an update on return man Jamal Agnew, who suffered a left knee injury on a fourth-quarter kickoff return against the Bears.

Agnew is the NFL leader in punt returns, averaging 16.8 yards.

More: Justin Rogers' Lions grades: Prater delivers, D-line flunks