Stafford Passes Rivers for Sixth in NFL All-Time Passing TDs

Matthew Stafford moved into sole possession of sixth place on the NFL's all-time passing touchdown list Monday night, throwing a scoring pass to Davante Adams during the Los Angeles Rams' Week 2 game against the New York Giants, according to ESPN. The throw pushed Stafford past Philip Rivers on the career list, ESPN reported.

Where does Stafford now rank on the all-time list?

ESPN's report places Stafford sixth all time in career passing touchdowns after Monday night's throw to Adams, ahead of the spot long held by Rivers, who retired following the 2020 season. The outlet did not publish the two quarterbacks' exact career touchdown totals in its report on the milestone, and HTT News is not citing figures the source did not provide. The ranking move itself — Stafford passing Rivers — is the confirmed fact from ESPN's coverage.

Stafford, in his 17th NFL season, has spent his career with the Detroit Lions, the Los Angeles Rams and now returns to the Rams roster this season after an offseason trade saga that kept him in Los Angeles. Rivers spent his career with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts before retiring.

What happened in the Rams-Giants game?

The touchdown pass to Adams came during a Rams win over the Giants that ESPN's Los Angeles Rams reporter Sarah Barshop, alongside Giants reporter Jordan Raanan, described as a "bounce-back" performance for Los Angeles. ESPN's coverage of the game noted that Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart was ruled out and that Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald was back in action, according to the outlet's game recap published alongside the Stafford milestone story.

ESPN's report on the record-setting throw was published Sept. 21, 2026, at 10:29 p.m. ET, placing the game and the milestone in Week 2 of the NFL season.

Why does Davante Adams' catch matter to the numbers?

The scoring connection to Adams was not his only touchdown of the night. ESPN's video caption accompanying the story describes Adams making "a diving grab for his 2nd receiving TD," indicating the touchdown that vaulted Stafford past Rivers was Adams' second receiving score of the game. The pairing of Stafford and Adams, who have played together in Los Angeles, produced the multi-touchdown connection that ESPN highlighted as the vehicle for Stafford's record climb.

Where does Philip Rivers stand now?

ESPN's framing of the milestone — Stafford "passes Rivers for sixth all time" — establishes that Rivers has been overtaken and now sits behind Stafford on the all-time passing touchdown list. The outlet's report does not specify Rivers' new numerical rank, and HTT News is not estimating it. Rivers, a longtime Chargers and Colts starter, retired after the 2020 season and had held his prior spot on the list since then.

What to watch

• Next opponent tracking: Whether Stafford's touchdown pace continues as the Rams move into Week 3 will determine how quickly he approaches the quarterbacks ranked above him on the all-time list.
• Adams' role in the passing game: A two-touchdown night for Adams, as described in ESPN's video caption, suggests he remains a primary red-zone target for Stafford in Los Angeles' offense.
• Giants' quarterback situation: ESPN reported Dart was ruled out for the Giants in the same game; his status for Week 3 will be worth tracking as New York's coaching staff addresses the position.
• Donald's workload: ESPN noted Aaron Donald was back in action for the Rams; his snap count in coming weeks will indicate whether the team is managing his availability deliberately.

ESPN's report is the sole sourced account of the milestone at publication time; additional statistical confirmation of Stafford's and Rivers' exact career touchdown totals was not available in the material reviewed for this story.

How does the milestone fit into Stafford's season with the Rams?

ESPN's report places the touchdown pass within Stafford's 17th NFL season, his second stint with the Rams following the offseason trade saga that ultimately kept him on the roster in Los Angeles, according to the outlet's coverage. The Week 2 win over the Giants marked a "bounce-back" effort for the Rams, ESPN reporters Sarah Barshop and Jordan Raanan wrote in the game recap published alongside the milestone story. Stafford's connection with Adams on the go-ahead scoring throw underscored the passing game's role in that turnaround, per ESPN's account of the Sept. 21, 2026, game.

The outlet's report did not detail Stafford's touchdown total for the 2026 season to date, and HTT News is not estimating that figure. ESPN's story instead focused on the career-list movement itself, crediting the Adams touchdown as the throw that pushed Stafford past Rivers.