# List of NFL annual passing yards leaders

In American football, passing, along with running (also referred to as rushing), is one of the two main methods of advancing the ball down the field. Passes are typically attempted by the quarterback, but any offensive player can attempt a pass provided they are behind the line of scrimmage. To qualify as a passing play, the ball must have initially moved forward after leaving the hands of the passer; if the ball initially moved laterally or backwards, the play would instead be considered a running play. A player who catches a forward pass is a receiver. Passing yards are measured in flat yards along one direction of the field, always starting from the line of scrimmage and ending at the point that the receiver is ruled down. If the receiver reaches the end zone and scores a touchdown, then the yardage measurement ends at the opposing team's goal line (the zero-yard line). Passing yards do not include incomplete throws.
The National Football League (NFL) did not begin keeping official records until the 1932 season. In addition to the overall NFL passing yards leaders, league record books recognize the passing yards leaders of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970.
The record for passing yards in a season is held by Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos who passed for 5,477 yards in 2013. Drew Brees has led the NFL in passing yards in seven seasons, more than any other quarterback in NFL history. Brees has also passed for over 5,000 yards in a season five times, whereas no other player has done so more than twice. Patrick Mahomes led the league in passing yards in 2022 and became the first player in the Super Bowl era to do so and win a league championship in the same season.

## NFL annual passing yards leaders

Key :
| Symbol | Meaning |
| Leader | The player who recorded the most passing yards in the NFL |
| Yds | The total number of passing yards the player had |
| GP | The number of games played by a player during the season |
| † | Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
| ^ | Active player |
| * | Set the single-season passing yards record |
| (#) | Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list |
NFL annual passing yards leaders by season :
| Season | Leader | Yds | GP | Team |
| 1932 | Arnie Herber† | 639* | 14 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1933 | Harry Newman | 973* | 14 | New York Giants |
| 1934 | Arnie Herber† (2) | 799 | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1935 | Ed Danowski | 794 | 12 | New York Giants |
| 1936 | Arnie Herber† (3) | 1,239* | 12 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1937 | Sammy Baugh† | 1,127 | 11 | Washington Redskins |
| 1938 | Ace Parker† | 865 | 11 | Brooklyn Dodgers |
| 1939 | Davey O'Brien | 1,324* | 11 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1940 | Sammy Baugh† (2) | 1,367* | 11 | Washington Redskins |
| 1941 | Cecil Isbell | 1,479* | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1942 | Cecil Isbell (2) | 2,021* | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1943 | Sid Luckman† | 2,194* | 10 | Chicago Bears |
| 1944 | Irv Comp | 1,159 | 10 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1945 | Sid Luckman† (2) | 1,727 | 10 | Chicago Bears |
| 1946 | Sid Luckman† (3) | 1,826 | 11 | Chicago Bears |
| 1947 | Sammy Baugh† (3) | 2,938* | 12 | Washington Redskins |
| 1948 | Sammy Baugh† (4) | 2,599 | 12 | Washington Redskins |
| 1949 | Johnny Lujack | 2,658 | 12 | Chicago Bears |
| 1950 | Bobby Layne† | 2,323 | 12 | Detroit Lions |
| 1951 | Bobby Layne† (2) | 2,403 | 12 | Detroit Lions |
| 1952 | Otto Graham† | 2,816 | 12 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1953 | Otto Graham† (2) | 2,722 | 12 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1954 | Norm Van Brocklin† | 2,637 | 12 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1955 | Jim Finks† | 2,270 | 12 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1956 | Tobin Rote | 2,203 | 12 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1957 | Johnny Unitas† | 2,550 | 12 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1958 | Bill Wade | 2,875 | 12 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1959 | Johnny Unitas† (2) | 2,899 | 12 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1960 | Johnny Unitas† (3) | 3,099* | 12 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1961 | Sonny Jurgensen† | 3,723* | 14 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1962 | Sonny Jurgensen† (2) | 3,261 | 14 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1963 | Johnny Unitas† (4) | 3,481 | 14 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1964 | Charley Johnson | 3,045 | 14 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1965 | John Brodie | 3,112 | 13 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1966 | Sonny Jurgensen† (3) | 3,209 | 14 | Washington Redskins |
| 1967 | Sonny Jurgensen† (4) | 3,747* | 14 | Washington Redskins |
| 1968 | John Brodie (2) | 3,020 | 14 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1969 | Sonny Jurgensen† (5) | 3,102 | 14 | Washington Redskins |
| 1970 | John Brodie (3) | 2,941 | 14 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1971 | John Hadl | 3,075 | 14 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1972 | Joe Namath† | 2,816 | 13 | New York Jets |
| 1973 | Roman Gabriel | 3,219 | 14 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1974 | Ken Anderson | 2,667 | 13 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1975 | Ken Anderson (2) | 3,169 | 13 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1976 | Bert Jones | 3,104 | 14 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1977 | Joe Ferguson | 2,803 | 14 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1978 | Fran Tarkenton† | 3,468 | 16 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1979 | Dan Fouts† | 4,082* | 16 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1980 | Dan Fouts† (2) | 4,715* | 16 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1981 | Dan Fouts† (3) | 4,802* | 16 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1982 | Dan Fouts† (4) | 2,883 | 9 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1983 | Lynn Dickey | 4,458 | 16 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1984 | Dan Marino† | 5,084* | 16 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1985 | Dan Marino† (2) | 4,137 | 16 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1986 | Dan Marino† (3) | 4,746 | 16 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1987 | Neil Lomax | 3,387 | 12 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1988 | Dan Marino† (4) | 4,434 | 16 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1989 | Don Majkowski | 4,318 | 16 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1990 | Warren Moon† | 4,689 | 15 | Houston Oilers |
| 1991 | Warren Moon† (2) | 4,690 | 16 | Houston Oilers |
| 1992 | Dan Marino† (5) | 4,116 | 16 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1993 | John Elway† | 4,030 | 16 | Denver Broncos |
| 1994 | Drew Bledsoe | 4,555 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 1995 | Brett Favre† | 4,413 | 16 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1996 | Mark Brunell | 4,367 | 16 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 1997 | Jeff George | 3,917 | 16 | Oakland Raiders |
| 1998 | Brett Favre† (2) | 4,212 | 16 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1999 | Steve Beuerlein | 4,436 | 16 | Carolina Panthers |
| 2000 | Peyton Manning† | 4,413 | 16 | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2001 | Kurt Warner† | 4,830 | 16 | St. Louis Rams |
| 2002 | Rich Gannon | 4,689 | 16 | Oakland Raiders |
| 2003 | Peyton Manning† (2) | 4,267 | 16 | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2004 | Daunte Culpepper | 4,717 | 16 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2005 | Tom Brady | 4,110 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2006 | Drew Brees | 4,418 | 16 | New Orleans Saints |
| 2007 | Tom Brady (2) | 4,806 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2008 | Drew Brees (2) | 5,069 | 16 | New Orleans Saints |
| 2009 | Matt Schaub | 4,770 | 16 | Houston Texans |
| 2010 | Philip Rivers | 4,710 | 16 | San Diego Chargers |
| 2011 | Drew Brees (3) | 5,476* | 16 | New Orleans Saints |
| 2012 | Drew Brees (4) | 5,177 | 16 | New Orleans Saints |
| 2013 | Peyton Manning† (3) | 5,477* | 16 | Denver Broncos |
| 2014 | Drew Brees (5) | 4,952 | 16 | New Orleans Saints |
| 2014 | Ben Roethlisberger | 4,952 | 16 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 2015 | Drew Brees (6) | 4,870 | 15 | New Orleans Saints |
| 2016 | Drew Brees (7) | 5,208 | 16 | New Orleans Saints |
| 2017 | Tom Brady (3) | 4,577 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2018 | Ben Roethlisberger (2) | 5,129 | 16 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 2019 | Jameis Winston^ | 5,109 | 16 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2020 | Deshaun Watson^ | 4,823 | 16 | Houston Texans |
| 2021 | Tom Brady (4) | 5,316 | 17 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2022 | Patrick Mahomes^ | 5,250 | 17 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2023 | Tua Tagovailoa^ | 4,624 | 17 | Miami Dolphins |
| 2024 | Joe Burrow^ | 4,918 | 17 | Cincinnati Bengals |

## AFL annual passing yards leaders

Key :
| Symbol | Meaning |
| Leader | The player who recorded the most passing yards in the AFL |
| Yds | The total number of passing yards the player had |
| GP | The number of games played by a player during the season |
| † | Pro Football Hall of Fame member |
| * | Player set the single-season passing yards record |
| (#) | Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list |
AFL annual passing yards leaders by season :
| Season | Leader | Yds | GP | Team |
| 1960 | Frank Tripucka | 3,038* | 14 | Denver Broncos |
| 1961 | George Blanda† | 3,330* | 14 | Houston Oilers |
| 1962 | Frank Tripucka (2) | 2,917 | 14 | Denver Broncos |
| 1963 | George Blanda† (2) | 3,003 | 14 | Houston Oilers |
| 1964 | Babe Parilli | 3,465* | 14 | Boston Patriots |
| 1965 | John Hadl | 2,798 | 14 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1966 | Joe Namath† | 3,379 | 14 | New York Jets |
| 1967 | Joe Namath† (2) | 4,007* | 14 | New York Jets |
| 1968 | John Hadl (2) | 3,473 | 14 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1969 | Daryle Lamonica | 3,302 | 14 | Oakland Raiders |

## Most seasons leading the league

| Count | Player | Seasons | Team(s) |
| 7 | Drew Brees | 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014–2016 | New Orleans Saints |
| 5 | Sonny Jurgensen | 1961, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1969 | Philadelphia Eagles (2), Washington Redskins (3) |
| 5 | Dan Marino | 1984–1986, 1988, 1992 | Miami Dolphins |
| 4 | Sammy Baugh | 1937, 1940, 1947, 1948 | Washington Redskins |
| 4 | Tom Brady | 2005, 2007, 2017, 2021 | New England Patriots (3), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1) |
| 4 | Dan Fouts | 1979–1982 | San Diego Chargers |
| 4 | Johnny Unitas | 1957, 1959, 1960, 1963 | Baltimore Colts |
| 3 | John Brodie | 1965, 1968, 1970 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 3 | John Hadl | 1965, 1968, 1971 | San Diego Chargers |
| 3 | Arnie Herber | 1932, 1934, 1936 | Green Bay Packers |
| 3 | Peyton Manning | 2000, 2003, 2013 | Indianapolis Colts (2), Denver Broncos (1) |