Tom Brady Tosses 500th Career TD as Pats Tame Colts on “TNF”

The 41-year-old became the third NFL quarterback to reach the milestone.

FOXBOROUGH, MA - OCTOBER 04:  Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots throws a 34-yard touchdown pass to Josh Gordon #10 (not pictured) for his 500th career touchdown pass against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium on October 4, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.  (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - OCTOBER 04: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots throws a 34-yard touchdown pass to Josh Gordon #10 (not pictured) for his 500th career touchdown pass against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium on October 4, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Getty Images

On Thursday Night Football, Tom Brady became the third quarterback in NFL history to reach 500 career touchdown passes when he hit newly acquired Josh Gordon with a 39-yard bomb.

More importantly, the New England Patriots were able to stay on the winning track after starting the season 1-2 by knocking off the Indianapolis Colts 38-24.

With his 500th TD, Brady joins Peyton Manning (539) and Brett Favre (508) as the only quarterbacks to hit that mark. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees needs four touchdowns to become the fourth.

Brady is, and will be, the only player to reach the mark while playing for a single team. He also set a record of his own NFL by throwing at least one touchdown pass to 71 different players, breaking a tie with Vinny Testaverde (70) for the most in NFL history.

Emblematic of his willingness to hit the open receiver, Brady spread the ball around to eight receivers last night and threw for a season-high 341 yards.

“Things like that, milestones and so forth, there’s so many people who contribute,” Brady said after the win. “I just think of all the people who have really worked hard. A quarterback doesn’t throw them to himself. He needs people to catch, and block, and the defense to make plays, and coaches to coach. These are all great team awards. Pretty cool.”

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