AP

Throwing the 400th career touchdown pass was nice and all, considering it moved him into a club with Dan Marino, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning.

But it’s Favre’s record of 297 consecutive starts that Tom Brady really admires.

During his weekly interview on WEEI, Brady said it was that kind of longevity that meant more to him than passing stats.

“I think the thing that probably means the most would be just consecutive starts,” Brady said, via Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal. “Because I think that’s something that is a reflection of the commitment that you make. I think that’s a pretty amazing thing. Like what Brett Favre’s been able to do, what Peyton did over his career. Just being available to your team. I mean, you’re no help to your team if you’re on the sideline. To be available to play and to be durable, consistent, that’s what I focus on.

“More than a touchdown or yards per attempt — all those things are great, and I think you can probably pull any stat and make it into whatever you want. But being available to your team when they’re counting on you and then playing at your highest and best when the team needs you the most is what I think a quarterback’s job is all about.”

Brady’s sitting on 98 consecutive regular season starts, 110 if you count playoffs. He had a previous streak of 128 starts before blowing his ACL in 2008.

Thanks to the injury, he’s never going to catch Favre. But the fact that’s the record he covets speaks to his priorities.