San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers moved into a tie for No. 11 on the NFL’s all-time passing touchdown list Sunday, passing Joe Montana who had 273.
Rivers ended Sunday’s 31-25 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars with four touchdowns, putting him in a tie with Vinny Testaverde at No. 11 on the all-time list with 275.
“Joe Montana was on my wall. I get the chills when you say I passed him because those are names I grew up watching,” Rivers told reporters after the game.
The touchdowns weren’t the only career milestones Rivers surpassed Sunday.
He also became the 17th quarterback in NFL history to reach 40,000 career passing yards, coming on a 23-yard connection to wide receiver Dontrelle Inman toward the end of the second quarter.
The 159 games it took Rivers to reach the 40,000-yard mark is more than only Drew Brees (152), Dan Marino (153) and Peyton Manning (154) in NFL history.
“Thankful is the word that keeps coming to me,” Rivers said to ESPN. “I’ve had the opportunity to be out there for 155 [games] in a row. At 3-8, there is not a lot that excites you. But winning a game and hearing names like Montana and Testaverde, that does make me smile.”
Sunday’s win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Chargers (3-8) and Rivers had a big hand in the win.
He went 29-for43 through the air with 300 yards and four touchdowns, two to tight end Antonio Gates in a little over a minute in the second quarter.
The Chargers come back home this Sunday to take on the Denver Broncos at 1:05 p.m.
