List of National Football League career passing yards leaders

This list shows the top 50 National Football League quarterbacks with the most career regular season passing yards, the top 25 NFL playoff passing yards leaders, and the timeline of regular season record holders.

Tom Brady holds the regular season record with 89,214 passing yards. He also holds the playoff record, with 13,400 yards. Both of these combine to 102,614 yards.

Regular season career passing yards leaders
+ Key^ Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame* Denotes player who is still active

Through  season.

 Rank PlayerTeam(s) by season   1New England Patriots (–)Tampa Bay Buccaneers (–) 89,214335266.32San Diego Chargers (–) New Orleans Saints (–)80,358287280.03^Indianapolis Colts (–)Denver Broncos (–)71,940266270.54^Atlanta Falcons ()Green Bay Packers (–)New York Jets ()Minnesota Vikings (–)71,838302237.95Pittsburgh Steelers (–)64,088249257.46San Diego/L.A. Chargers (–)Indianapolis Colts ()63,440244260.07*Atlanta Falcons (–)Indianapolis Colts (–present)62,792234268.38^Miami Dolphins (–)61,361242253.69*Green Bay Packers (–present)59,055230256.810New York Giants (–)57,023236241.611*Detroit Lions (–)Los Angeles Rams (–present)52,082191272.712^Denver Broncos (–)51,475234220.013^Houston Oilers (–)Minnesota Vikings (–)Seattle Seahawks (–)Kansas City Chiefs (–)49,325208237.114^Minnesota Vikings (–, –)New York Giants (–)47,003246191.115Cincinnati Bengals (–)Oakland Raiders (–)Arizona Cardinals (–)46,247182254.116Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1987–1992)Cleveland Browns (1993–1995)Baltimore Ravens (1996–1997)New York Jets (1998–2003, 2005)Dallas Cowboys (2004)New England Patriots (2006)Carolina Panthers (2007)46,233233198.417New England Patriots (–)Buffalo Bills (–)Dallas Cowboys (–)44,611194230.018^San Diego Chargers (–)43,040181237.819*Baltimore Ravens (–)Denver Broncos ()New York Jets (, –present)Philadelphia Eagles ()42,320183231.320Carolina Panthers (–)New Orleans Saints ()New York Giants (–)Oakland Raiders (–)Tennessee Titans (–)Indianapolis Colts ()40,922198206.721*Seattle Seahawks (–)Denver Broncos (–present)40,583173234.622^San Francisco 49ers (1979–1992)Kansas City Chiefs (1993–1994)40,551192211.223^Baltimore Colts (–)San Diego Chargers ()40,239211190.724*Cincinnati Bengals (–)Dallas Cowboys ()Chicago Bears ()New Orleans Saints (–present)38,150166229.825Seattle Seahawks (–)Kansas City Chiefs (–)Detroit Lions ()Arizona Cardinals ()Chicago Bears ()Tennessee Oilers (–)38,147213179.126Cincinnati Bengals (–, 1997)New York Jets (–)Arizona Cardinals ()37,920187202.827Philadelphia Eagles (–)Washington Redskins ()Minnesota Vikings ()37,276167223.228*Washington Redskins (–)Minnesota Vikings (–present)37,140142261.529Green Bay Packers (–)Seattle Seahawks (–)Tennessee Titans (–)Indianapolis Colts (–)36,638209175.330San Francisco 49ers (–)Kansas City Chiefs (–)Washington Redskins/Football Team (), ()35,650174204.931^Buffalo Bills (–)35,467160221.732*Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (–present)35,222142248.033Denver Broncos (–)Chicago Bears (–)Miami Dolphins ()35,133153229.634St. Louis Rams (–)Cincinnati Bengals (–)Buffalo Bills (–)Tennessee Titans ()Houston Texans ()New York Jets (–)Tampa Bay Buccaneers (–)Miami Dolphins (–)Washington Football Team ()34,990166210.834Los Angeles Rams (–)New Orleans Saints (–)San Diego Chargers ()34,837158220.536St. Louis Cardinals (–)Washington Redskins ()34,665201172.537San Francisco 49ers (–)Denver Broncos (–)Tampa Bay Buccaneers (–, –)Kansas City Chiefs (–)Miami Dolphins ()Atlanta Falcons ()34,241206166.238Dallas Cowboys (–)34,183156219.139San Diego Chargers (–)Los Angeles Rams (–)Green Bay Packers (–)Houston Oilers (–)33,503224149.640New York Giants (–)33,462164204.041*Miami Dolphins (–)Tennessee Titans (–present)33,265145229.442^Tampa Bay Buccaneers (–)San Francisco 49ers (–)33,124169196.043^Dallas Cowboys (–)32,942165199.644Cincinnati Bengals (–)32,838192171.045Carolina Panthers (–, )New England Patriots ()32,382148218.846^St. Louis Rams (–)New York Giants ()Arizona Cardinals (–)32,344124260.847^Philadelphia Eagles (–)Washington Redskins (–)32,224218147.848Green Bay Packers (–)Jacksonville Jaguars (–)Washington Redskins (–)New Orleans Saints (–)New York Jets (–)32,072193166.249San Francisco 49ers (–)31,548201157.050Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans (–)Baltimore Ravens (–)31,304161194.4
Note: Y. A. Tittle passed for 33,070 yards in his career. That would put him 43rd on this list. But, 4,731 of those yards came in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). The NFL does not recognize statistics and records from the AAFC to date. Tittle's career passing yards total in the NFL are 28,339.

Playoff leaders
Through start of Super Bowl LVII of 2022–23 NFL playoffs. Here is a list of the top 25 NFL players with the most postseason passing yards.

 Rank PlayerTeam(s) by season  1 New England Patriots (–)Tampa Bay Buccaneers (–) 13,400279.22^Indianapolis Colts (–) Denver Broncos (–)7,339271.83Pittsburgh Steelers (–)5,972259.74*Green Bay Packers (–present)5,894267.95^Atlanta Falcons ()Green Bay Packers (–) New York Jets ()Minnesota Vikings (–)5,855244.06^San Francisco 49ers (1979–1992)Kansas City Chiefs (1993–1994)5,772251.07San Diego Chargers (–)New Orleans Saints (–)5,366298.18^Denver Broncos (–)4,964225.69^Miami Dolphins (–)4,510250.610^St. Louis Rams (–)New York Giants ()Arizona Cardinals (–)3,952304.0011*Kansas City Chiefs (–present)3,902300.1512^Buffalo Bills (–)3,863227.213^Dallas Cowboys (–)3,849240.614^Pittsburgh Steelers (–)3,833201.715*Seattle Seahawks (–)Denver Broncos (–present)3,786236.616Philadelphia Eagles (–)Washington Redskins ()Minnesota Vikings ()3,752234.517^Tampa Bay Buccaneers (–)San Francisco 49ers (–)3,326151.218*Baltimore Ravens (–)Denver Broncos ()New York Jets (, –present)Philadelphia Eagles ()3,223214.919San Diego/L.A. Chargers (–)Indianapolis Colts ()2,965247.120^Houston Oilers (–)Minnesota Vikings (–)Seattle Seahawks (–)Kansas City Chiefs (–)2,870287.021^Dallas Cowboys (–)2,817140.922New York Giants (–)2,815234.623Green Bay Packers (–)Seattle Seahawks (–)Tennessee Titans (–)Indianapolis Colts (–)2,741249.224*Atlanta Falcons (–)Indianapolis Colts (–present)2,672267.225^Oakland Raiders (–)Houston Oilers (–)New Orleans Saints (–)2,641203.2

Historical passing yards leaders
Eleven players are recognised as having held the record as the NFL's career passing yards leader. The longest record holder was Fran Tarkenton. He held the record for nineteen years.

   Player  Team(s) while leader  Career passing yards  Season(s)  –(11 years)  Arnie Herber^   Green Bay Packers 639  19321,295  19332,094  19342,823  19354,062  19364,746  19375,082  19386,189  1939 6,749  1940–1942 –(16 years)  Sammy Baugh^   Washington Redskins  8,379  1943 9,228  1944 10,897  1945 12,060  1946 14,998  1947 17,597  1948 19,500  1949 20,630  1950 21,734  1951 21,886  1952–1958 –(5 years)  Bobby Layne^   Pittsburgh Steelers   22,063  1959 23,877 1960 25,082  1961 26,768  1962–1963 –(4 years)  Y. A. Tittle^   New York Giants  28,339  1964–1967 –(8 years)  Johnny Unitas^   Baltimore Colts (1968–1972)San Diego Chargers (1973)  33,160  1968 35,502  1969 37,715  1970 38,657  1971 39,768  197240,239  1973–1975 –(19 years)  Fran Tarkenton^   Minnesota Vikings   41,801  1976 43,535  1977 47,003  1978–1994 –(12 years)  Dan Marino^   Miami Dolphins  48,841  1995  51,636  1996 55,416  1997 58,913  1998 61,361  1999–2006 –(8 years)  Brett Favre^   Green Bay Packers ()New York Jets ()Minnesota Vikings (–)  61,655  2007  65,127  2008 69,329  2009 71,838  2010–2014–(3 years)  ^ Denver Broncos71,9402015–2017–(3 years)  New Orleans Saints 74,437  2018 77,416  2019 80,358  2020Since ( years)  Tampa Bay Buccaneers 84,520  2021 89,214  2022–

Related pages
 List of National Football League career passing completions leaders
 List of National Football League career passing touchdowns leaders
 List of National Football League career quarterback wins leaders

Notes

References


Passing yard leaders
Category:National Football League lists