A decades-old KC Chiefs record is about to fall... in half the time it took to set

Len Dawson completed his NFL career in 1975 as one of the game’s greatest quarterbacks.

He led the league in completion percentage a record eight times and touchdown passes four times. The latter record stood until Tom Brady led the league in TD passes for a fifth time in 2021 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

By the standards of his era, Dawson — in his 14 seasons with the Chiefs organization — played the position at its highest level.

Just as Patrick Mahomes is doing now.

The difference is in the game itself, which explains how Mahomes, about to begin his seventh year as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback, is poised to surpass Dawson in multiple Chiefs career passing categories.

Perhaps during the first half of the Chiefs’ Thursday Night Football opener against the Baltimore Ravens, Mahomes will become the franchise’s career passing leader. He’s thrown for 28,424 yards in 96 regular-season games. He needs just 83 to match Dawson’s 28,507 yards in 183 games.

Later this season, Mahomes — currently at 219 touchdown passes — will pass Dawson’s 237 to lead that category, as well.

The statistical chase speaks to how much football has changed over the decades. The first quarterback to pass for more than 4,000 yards in a season was Joe Namath in 1967. It didn’t happen again for another dozen years.

As for Mahomes? He hasn’t passed for fewer than 4,000 yards in a full season.

After Mahomes had broken Dawson’s record of 30 touchdown passes in a season — on his way to 50 — Mahomes sat with Dawson and Chiefs broadcaster Mitch Holthus in 2018 for an interview. The quarterbacks discussed each other’s game.

“There’s nothing he can’t do,” said Dawson, the franchise legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer who died in 2022. “He’s got that rocket arm on him. He can get it in there, where you’re not supposed to be able to get in there.”

Mahomes has always expressed an appreciation for Dawson — both his leadership and the numbers he put up before offenses became pass-first.

“He pioneered the game,” Mahomes said Sunday. “The fact that he put those yards up and for that record to stand for so long speaks to the player he was.”

The record will have stood for five decades. No team has had a longer career passing leader than the Chiefs. Dawson became the franchise leader in that category in 1963 and has been on top ever since.

“There’s just more passing that goes on now, at all levels,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.

A few teams’ old-school career passing leaders endure. Namath remains on top of the New York Jets’ list. And Fran Tarkenton is still No. 1 for the Minnesota Vikings, Brian Sipe for the Cleveland Bowns and Jim Hart for the Cardinals.

All played long enough to continue to lead lead their organizations.

NFL team-by-team career passing leaders

Here are the career passing leaders for all NFL teams:

AFC

Chiefs: Len Dawson, 28,507

Broncos: John Elway, 51,475

Raiders: Derek Carr, 35,222

Chargers: Philip Rivers, 59,271

Bills: Jim Kelly, 35,467

Dolphins: Dan Marino, 61,361

Jets: Joe Namath, 27,057

Patriots: Tom Brady, 74,571

Texans: Matt Schaub, 23,221

Colts: Peyton Manning, 54,828

Jaguars: Mark Brunell, 25,698

Titans :Warren Moon, 33,685

Ravens: Joe Flacco, 38,245

Browns: Brian Sipe, 23,713

Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger, 64.088

Bengals: Ken Anderson, 32,838

NFC

Packers: Brett Favre, 61,655

Lions: Matt Stafford, 45,109

Bears: Jay Cutler, 23,443

Vikings: Fran Tarkenton, 33,098

49ers: Joe Montana, 35,124

Rams: Jim Everett, 23,758

Seahawks: Russell Wilson, 37,059

Cardinals: Jim Hart, 34,639

Cowboys: Tony Romo, 34,183

Eagles: Donovan McNabb, 32,873

Giants: Eli Manning, 57,023

Commanders: Joe Theismann 25,206

Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, 17,373

Saints: Drew Brees, 68,010

Falcons: Matt Ryan, 59,735

Panthers: Cam Newton 29,725