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 called a receiver. A touchdown pass is a pass thrown from a passer to a receiver that results in a touchdown being scored. To be counted as a touchdown pass, the ball can be caught within the field of play and advanced by the receiver into the end zone, or caught by a receiver within the boundaries of the end zone. The number of passing touchdowns a player makes is a recorded statistic in football games. In addition to the overall National Football League (NFL) passing touchdown leaders, league record books recognize the passing touchdown leaders of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970. The NFL also recognizes the statistics of the All-America Football Conference, which operated from 1946 to 1949 before three of its teams were merged into the NFL, since 2025. The NFL did not begin keeping official records until the season.

Tom Brady has led the NFL in passing touchdowns five times, more than any other quarterback. Johnny Unitas is the only player to lead the league four times consecutively, doing so from 1957 through 1960. The record for touchdown passes in a season is held by Peyton Manning, who had 55 passing touchdowns in the 2013 season while playing for the Denver Broncos. Only two other players have recorded 50 or more passing touchdowns in a season, Brady and Patrick Mahomes.

NFL annual passing touchdowns leaders

+ Key Symbol Meaning Leader The player who recorded the most passing touchdowns in the NFL TDs The total number of passing touchdowns 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 touchdowns record (#) Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list

+ NFL annual passing touchdowns leaders by season Season Leader Team 9* 14 Green Bay Packers 11* 14 New York Giants (2) 8 11 Green Bay Packers 10 12 New York Giants (3) 11 12 Green Bay Packers 9 10 Chicago Bears 9 8 Green Bay Packers 11 11 Washington Redskins 12* 11 Washington Redskins 15* 11 Green Bay Packers (2) 24* 11 Green Bay Packers 28* 10 Chicago Bears (2) 13 10 Washington Redskins (2) 14 10 Chicago Bears 10 Cleveland Rams (3) 17 11 Chicago Bears (2) 11 Los Angeles Rams (2) 25 12 Washington Redskins 25 12 Philadelphia Eagles 23 12 Chicago Bears 22 12 New York Yanks 26 12 Detroit Lions 20 12 Pittsburgh Steelers 12 Cleveland Browns 21 12 Philadelphia Eagles 23 12 Philadelphia Eagles 17 12 San Francisco 49ers 12 Green Bay Packers (2) 18 12 Green Bay Packers 24 12 Baltimore Colts (2) 19 10 Baltimore Colts (3) 32* 12 Baltimore Colts (4) 25 12 Baltimore Colts 32 14 Philadelphia Eagles (2) 33* 14 New York Giants (3) 36* 13 New York Giants 25 14 Cleveland Browns 30 13 San Francisco 49ers (2) 29 14 Cleveland Browns (2) 31 14 Washington Redskins 26 14 Baltimore Colts 24 14 Los Angeles Rams (2) 24 14 San Francisco 49ers 21 14 San Diego Chargers 19 12 Washington Redskins 13 New York Jets (2) 23 14 Philadelphia Eagles 14 Dallas Cowboys 26 14 Oakland Raiders 25 14 Minnesota Vikings 14 Buffalo Bills (2) 27 12 Oakland Raiders 22 14 Miami Dolphins 28 16 Pittsburgh Steelers 28 16 New England Patriots 16 Cleveland Browns 31 16 Atlanta Falcons 33 16 San Diego Chargers (2) 17 9 San Diego Chargers (2) 9 Pittsburgh Steelers 9 San Francisco 49ers 32 16 Green Bay Packers 48* 16 Miami Dolphins (2) 30 16 Miami Dolphins (3) 44 16 Miami Dolphins (2) 31 13 San Francisco 49ers 31 16 Los Angeles Rams (2) 29 16 Los Angeles Rams 33 15 Houston Oilers 33 15 Buffalo Bills 25 16 San Francisco 49ers (2) 29 16 San Francisco 49ers (3) 35 16 San Francisco 49ers 38 16 Green Bay Packers (2) 39 16 Green Bay Packers (3) 35 16 Green Bay Packers (4) 36 15 San Francisco 49ers 41 16 St. Louis Rams 33 16 Indianapolis Colts 16 Minnesota Vikings (2) 36 16 St. Louis Rams 28 16 New England Patriots (4) 32 16 Green Bay Packers (2) 49* 16 Indianapolis Colts 32 16 Cincinnati Bengals (3) 31 16 Indianapolis Colts (2) 50* 16 New England Patriots 34 16 New Orleans Saints 16 San Diego Chargers (2) 34 16 New Orleans Saints (3) 36 16 New England Patriots (3) 46 16 New Orleans Saints (4) 43 16 New Orleans Saints (4) 55* 16 Denver Broncos 40 16 Indianapolis Colts (4) 36 16 New England Patriots ^ 40 16 Green Bay Packers 34 16 Seattle Seahawks ^ 50 16 Kansas City Chiefs ^ 36 15 Baltimore Ravens ^ (2) 48 16 Green Bay Packers (5) 43 17 Tampa Bay Buccaneers ^ (2) 41 17 Kansas City Chiefs ^ 36 17 Dallas Cowboys ^ 43 17 Cincinnati Bengals ^ 46 17 Los Angeles Rams

AFL annual passing touchdowns leaders

+ Key Symbol Meaning Leader The player who recorded the most passing touchdowns in the AFL TDs The total number of passing touchdowns 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 touchdowns record(#)Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list

+ AFL annual passing touchdowns leaders by season Season Leader Team 1960 26* 14 New York Titans 1961 36* 14 Houston Oilers 1962 29 14 Dallas Texans 1963 (2) 26 14 Kansas City Chiefs 1964 31 14 Boston Patriots 1965 (3) 21 14 Kansas City Chiefs 1966 (4) 26 14 Kansas City Chiefs 1967 30 14 Oakland Raiders 1968 27 14 San Diego Chargers 1969 (2) 34 14 Oakland Raiders

AAFC annual passing touchdowns leaders

+ Key Symbol Meaning Leader The player who recorded the most passing touchdowns in the AAFC TDs The total number of passing touchdowns 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 touchdowns record(#)Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list

+ AAFC annual passing touchdowns leaders by season Season Leader Team 1946 17* 14 Cleveland Browns 1947 (2) 25* 14 Cleveland Browns 1948 29* 14 San Francisco 49ers 1949 (2) 27 12 San Francisco 49ers

Most seasons leading the league Count Player Seasons Team(s) 5 , , , , New England Patriots (4) / Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1) 4 , , , New Orleans Saints 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966 Kansas City Chiefs , Green Bay Packers , , , Indianapolis Colts (3) / Denver Broncos (1) Baltimore Colts , San Francisco 49ers 3 1946, 1947, Cleveland Browns , , Green Bay Packers , , Chicago Bears Miami Dolphins , , San Francisco 49ers (1) / New York Giants (2) 2 1948, 1949 San Francisco 49ers , Washington Redskins , Pittsburgh Steelers , San Francisco 49ers , Los Angeles Rams , Washington Redskins , San Diego Chargers , Los Angeles Rams (1) / Philadelphia Eagles (1) 1968, San Diego Chargers , Green Bay Packers , Philadelphia Eagles (1) / Washington Redskins (1) 1967, 1969 Oakland Raiders , Kansas City Chiefs , San Francisco 49ers , Green Bay Packers , Green Bay Packers , Cleveland Browns , Oakland Raiders , St. Louis Rams , Cleveland / Los Angeles Rams

See also List of NFL annual passing yards leaders List of NFL annual pass completion percentage leaders List of NFL annual passer rating leaders List of NFL career passing touchdowns leaders List of NFL career passing yards leaders

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