One NFL statistic shows how great Dan Marino was, even by today's standards

Dan Marino is regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. At the time of his retirement, he held most of the major NFL passing records. As time went on, those records eventually fell, but there is one debate that is still discussed: What would Marino look like if he played in today's NFL era?

We will never know for certain because Marino can't play today—that, too, is a debate among Miami Dolphins fans. However, he holds one statistic that has not been broken even in today's pass-happy NFL.

Dan Marino still holds the record for the most passing touchdowns in his first four NFL seasons, the standard length of a rookie contract.

This may not seem all that impressive, but when you consider Marino's first four seasons ran from 1983 to 1986 and still haven't been beaten or tied, that is a long span in NFL time. This record is also 28 games more than the closest quarterback, Justin Herbert, and he did this in 16-game seasons instead of 17. It is also impressive.

Marino remains the "Gold Standard" for quarterbacks. Many will tell fans that Tom Brady is the GOAT, but even Joe Montana said that Dan Marino was the best quarterback to play the game, and Dolphins fans would agree.

The Miami Dolphins will never get to see Dan Marino throwing passes on the field but his records remain.

Marino's days are long behind him, but he remains one of the most poignant figures in the organization and regularly attends fan events as part of the team. Fans would love to see him toss the ball a few more times, maybe a "go-deep" ball to Mark Clayton one more time, but we all know that is no longer going to happen like this statistic that looks increasingly less likely to be broken until the NFL changes the rules yet again to open the door for someone else.

NOTE: A previous version of this article had Marino's first four years as 1983 to 1987 instead of 1986. That has been corrected.