This list shows the top National Football League quarterbacks with the top 50 players with the most career regular season passing yards, the NFL playoff passing yards leaders with at least 2,500 yards, and the historical progression of regular season record holders. Quarterback totals from the American Football League (1960–1969) and All-American Football Conference (1946–1949) are also recognized by the NFL and are included.

Tom Brady holds both the regular season record, with 89,214 passing yards, and the playoff record, with 13,400 yards.

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. The amount of passing yards recorded by each quarterback is a recorded stat in football games.

Regular season career passing yards leaders

+ Legend Symbol Meaning Yds Career passing yardage GP Games played YPG Average yardage per game Pro Football Hall of Famer ^ Active

Through Week 4 of season. + NFL regular season career passing yards leaders Rank Player Team(s) Seasons 1 89,214 335 266.3 New England Patriots Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2 80,358 287 280 San Diego Chargers New Orleans Saints 3 71,940 266 270.5 Indianapolis Colts Denver Broncos 4 71,838 302 237.9 Atlanta Falcons Green Bay Packers New York Jets Minnesota Vikings 5^67,273268251Green Bay PackersNew York JetsPittsburgh Steelers6^65,705243270.4Detroit LionsLos Angeles Rams 7 64,088 249 257.4 Pittsburgh Steelers 8 63,984 247 259 San Diego/L.A. Chargers Indianapolis Colts , 9 62,792234 268.3 Atlanta Falcons Indianapolis Colts 10 61,361243 253.6 Miami Dolphins 11 57,023 236 241.6 New York Giants 12 51,475 234 220 Denver Broncos 13 49,325 208 237.1 Houston Oilers Minnesota Vikings Seattle Seahawks Kansas City Chiefs 14^48,176209230.5Baltimore RavensDenver BroncosNew York Jets, Philadelphia EaglesCleveland Browns, Indianapolis ColtsCincinnati Bengals 15 47,003 246 191.1 Minnesota Vikings , New York Giants 16 46,966205229.1Seattle SeahawksDenver BroncosPittsburgh SteelersNew York Giants 17 46,247 182 254.1 Cincinnati Bengals Oakland Raiders Arizona Cardinals 18 46,233 233 198.4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cleveland Browns Baltimore Ravens New York Jets , Dallas Cowboys New England Patriots Carolina Panthers 19^45,726178256.9Washington RedskinsMinnesota VikingsAtlanta FalconsLas Vegas Raiders20 44,611 194 230 New England Patriots Buffalo Bills Dallas Cowboys 21 43,040 181 237.8 San Diego Chargers 2241,245169244.1Oakland/Las Vegas RaidersNew Orleans Saints 23 40,922 198 206.7 Carolina Panthers New Orleans Saints New York Giants Oakland Raiders Tennessee Titans Indianapolis Colts 24^40,836155263.5Los Angeles RamsDetroit Lions25 40,551 192 211.2 San Francisco 49ers Kansas City Chiefs 26 40,239 211 190.7 Baltimore Colts San Diego Chargers 27 ^ 39,793 179 222.3 Cincinnati Bengals Dallas Cowboys Chicago Bears New Orleans Saints Carolina Panthers Philadelphia Eagles 28 38,147 213 179.1 Seattle Seahawks Kansas City Chiefs Detroit Lions Arizona Cardinals Chicago Bears Tennessee Oilers 29 37,920 187 202.8 Cincinnati Bengals , New York Jets Arizona Cardinals 30 37,276 167 223.2 Philadelphia Eagles Washington Redskins Minnesota Vikings 31^37,054143259.1Dallas Cowboys32^36,976130284.4Kansas City Chiefs33 36,638 209 175.3 Green Bay Packers Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans Indianapolis Colts 3435,650174204.9San Francisco 49ersKansas City ChiefsWashington Redskins/Football Team35 35,467 160 221.7 Buffalo Bills 36 35,133 153 229.6 Denver Broncos Chicago Bears Miami Dolphins 37 34,990 166 210.8 St. Louis Rams Cincinnati Bengals Buffalo Bills Tennessee Titans Houston Texans New York Jets Tampa Bay Buccaneers Miami Dolphins Washington Football Team 38 34,881 155 225 Miami Dolphins Tennessee Titans 39 34,837 158 220.5 Los Angeles Rams New Orleans Saints San Diego Chargers 40 34,665 201 172.5 St. Louis Cardinals Washington Redskins 41 34,241 206 166.2 San Francisco 49ers Denver Broncos Tampa Bay Buccaneers , Kansas City Chiefs Miami Dolphins Atlanta Falcons 42 34,183 156 219.1 Dallas Cowboys 43 33,503 224 149.6 San Diego Chargers Los Angeles Rams Green Bay Packers Houston Oilers 44 33,462 164 204 New York Giants 45 33,124 169 196 Tampa Bay Buccaneers San Francisco 49ers 46 33,070 204 162.1 Baltimore Colts San Francisco 49ers New York Giants 47 32,942 165 199.6 Dallas Cowboys 48 32,838 192 171 Cincinnati Bengals 49 32,382 148 218.8 Carolina Panthers , New England Patriots 50 32,344 124 260.8 St. Louis Rams New York Giants Arizona Cardinals Rank Player Team(s) Seasons

Playoff leaders Through end of 2025–26 NFL playoffs. Based on at least 2,500 postseason passing yards. Rank Player Team(s) Seasons 1 13,40048 279.2 New England Patriots Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2 7,33927 271.8 Indianapolis Colts Denver Broncos 3^6,04023262.6Green Bay PackersNew York JetsPittsburgh Steelers -present 4 5,972 259.7 Pittsburgh Steelers 5 5,85524 244 Atlanta Falcons Green Bay Packers New York Jets Minnesota Vikings 6^5,81421276.9Kansas City Chiefs–present 7 5,77223 251 San Francisco 49ers Kansas City Chiefs 8 5,36618 298.1 San Diego Chargers New Orleans Saints 9 4,964 22 225.6 Denver Broncos 10 4,510 18 250.6 Miami Dolphins 11 4,05617238.6Seattle SeahawksDenver BroncosPittsburgh SteelersNew York Giants 12 3,95213 304 St. Louis Rams New York Giants Arizona Cardinals 13^ 3,932302.5Detroit LionsLos Angeles Rams-present14^3,91515261Buffalo Bills-present 15 3,863 17 227.2 16 3,849 16 240.6 Dallas Cowboys 17 3,833 19 201.7 Pittsburgh Steelers 18 3,75216 234.5 Philadelphia Eagles Washington Redskins Minnesota Vikings 19^3,530220.6Baltimore RavensDenver BroncosNew York Jets, Philadelphia EaglesCleveland Browns, Indianapolis ColtsCincinnati Bengals–present20 3,32622 151.2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers San Francisco 49ers 212,96512247.1 San Diego/L.A. Chargers Indianapolis Colts , 22 2,87010 287 Houston Oilers Minnesota Vikings Seattle Seahawks Kansas City Chiefs 23 2,817 20 140.9 Dallas Cowboys 24 2,815 12 234.6 New York Giants 25 2,74111 249.2 Green Bay Packers Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans Indianapolis Colts 262,67210267.2 Atlanta Falcons Indianapolis Colts 27 2,64113 203.2 Oakland Raiders Houston Oilers New Orleans Saints

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

Player Team(s) while leader Career passing yards Season(s) (11 years) Arnie Herber Green Bay Packers 639 1932 1,295 1933 2,094 1934 2,823 1935 4,062 1936 4,746 1937 5,082 1938 6,189 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 1972 40,239 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 Broncos 71,940 2015–2017 (3 years) New Orleans Saints 74,437 2018 77,416 2019 80,358 2020 Since ( years) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 84,520 2021 89,214 2022–present

See also List of gridiron football quarterbacks passing statistics List of NFL annual passing yards leaders List of NFL career passing completions leaders List of NFL career passing touchdowns leaders List of NFL career quarterback wins leaders List of NFL individual records

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