Denver Broncos' quarterback Peyton Manning now sits as the touchdown king of the NFL after breaking Brett Favre's record for the most career scoring passes in front of a national primetime audience on Sunday.

With just 3:09 minutes remaining in the second quarter, Manning's No. 509 touchdown, his third during the game, went to receiver Demaryius Thomas to give the Broncos a 21-3 lead against San Francisco 49ers in a game Denver would win, 42-17.

While the 8-yard strike seemed so easy for the 38-year-old Bronco, the future Hall of Famer's team made it quite difficult for him to get the prized record-setting ball, CBS senior NFL sportswriter Will Brinson posted on his Vine account.

USA Today reported that after Manning secured the milestone ball, he was mobbed by the Broncos, starting with head coach John Fox who congratulated his quarterback with a bear hug. Players patted his helmet and shoulder pads.

Favre, on his part, congratulated his successor on Twitter, moments after announcer Alan Roach informed the crowd of the milestone. Manning has reached his record faster than Favre -- by 56 games, that is.

Manning would extend his record to 510 when Thomas again succeeded in catching the 40-yard bomb play in the third quarter. The touchdown was the 30th between Manning and Thomas -- the most of any Bronco and the fifth-most of any of Manning's teammates, USA Today noted.

Manning's longtime Indianapolis Colts teammate Marvin Harrison caught 112, Reggie Wayne had 67, while Dallas Clark and Marcus Pollard caught 44 and 34 of his touchdowns, respectively.

After four neck surgeries, Manning has now thrown 110 touchdown passes for the Broncos since signing with the team in 2012, the ESPN said.

"We didn't hold him back from the first day he got to Indianapolis," Jim Mora told another ESPN report. With the Colts, Mora was able to coach Manning for four seasons.

"He could never take it easy. He was always looking for some kind of edge that would help him improve," Mora told ESPN. "He learned fast, and we treated him like a veteran."

Adam Gase, the offensive coordinator of Manning's current team, said he couldn't identify the record-breaker's best touchdown pass, saying: "I can't pick one, there's so many, they're all examples of what he does and how he does it," per ESPN.

"It is fun just to watch how precise he is with the littlest things, the speed, the tempo, the focus," he said.

Fans were also inspired, with Twitter erupting with #Peyton509. ABC News compiled some of the online responses, saying Sunday was his night.

Gatorade quoted him, saying, "In football, every individual record is a team effort." Sports Nation celebrated "Manning Faces."

Celebrities and athletes from different sports also made themselves heard. LeBron James and Kevin Durant of basketball, and Bryce Harper of baseball sent congratulations. Justin Timberlake said: "Peyton F-ing Manning."