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 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 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 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 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 Team * 14 Green Bay Packers * 14 New York Giants (2) 11 Green Bay Packers 12 New York Giants (3) * 12 Green Bay Packers 11 Washington Redskins 11 Brooklyn Dodgers * 11 Philadelphia Eagles (2) * 11 Washington Redskins * 11 Green Bay Packers (2) * 11 Green Bay Packers * 10 Chicago Bears 10 Green Bay Packers (2) 10 Chicago Bears (3) 11 Chicago Bears (3) * 12 Washington Redskins (4) 12 Washington Redskins 12 Chicago Bears 12 Detroit Lions (2) 12 Detroit Lions 12 Cleveland Browns (2) 12 Cleveland Browns 12 Los Angeles Rams 12 Pittsburgh Steelers 12 Green Bay Packers 12 Baltimore Colts 12 Los Angeles Rams (2) 12 Baltimore Colts (3) * 12 Baltimore Colts * 14 Philadelphia Eagles (2) 14 Philadelphia Eagles (4) 14 Baltimore Colts 14 St. Louis Cardinals 13 San Francisco 49ers (3) 14 Washington Redskins (4) * 14 Washington Redskins (2) 14 San Francisco 49ers (5) 14 Washington Redskins (3) 14 San Francisco 49ers 14 San Diego Chargers 13 New York Jets 14 Philadelphia Eagles 13 Cincinnati Bengals (2) 13 Cincinnati Bengals 14 Baltimore Colts 14 Buffalo Bills 16 Minnesota Vikings * 16 San Diego Chargers (2) * 16 San Diego Chargers (3) * 16 San Diego Chargers (4) 9 San Diego Chargers 16 Green Bay Packers * 16 Miami Dolphins (2) 16 Miami Dolphins (3) 16 Miami Dolphins 12 St. Louis Cardinals (4) 16 Miami Dolphins 16 Green Bay Packers 15 Houston Oilers (2) 16 Houston Oilers (5) 16 Miami Dolphins 16 Denver Broncos 16 New England Patriots 16 Green Bay Packers 16 Jacksonville Jaguars 16 Oakland Raiders (2) 16 Green Bay Packers 16 Carolina Panthers 16 Indianapolis Colts 16 St. Louis Rams 16 Oakland Raiders (2) 16 Indianapolis Colts 16 Minnesota Vikings 16 New England Patriots 16 New Orleans Saints (2) 16 New England Patriots (2) 16 New Orleans Saints 16 Houston Texans 16 San Diego Chargers (3) * 16 New Orleans Saints (4) 16 New Orleans Saints (3) * 16 Denver Broncos (5) 16 New Orleans Saints 16 Pittsburgh Steelers (6) 15 New Orleans Saints (7) 16 New Orleans Saints (3) 16 New England Patriots (2) 16 Pittsburgh Steelers ^ 16 Tampa Bay Buccaneers ^ 16 Houston Texans (4) 17 Tampa Bay Buccaneers ^ 17 Kansas City Chiefs ^ 17 Miami Dolphins ^ 17 Cincinnati Bengals ^ 17 Los Angeles Rams
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 Team 1960 3,038* 14 Denver Broncos 1961 3,330* 14 Houston Oilers 1962 (2) 2,917 14 Denver Broncos 1963 (2) 3,003 14 Houston Oilers 1964 3,465* 14 Boston Patriots 1965 2,798 14 San Diego Chargers 1966 3,379 14 New York Jets 1967 (2) 4,007* 14 New York Jets 1968 (2) 3,473 14 San Diego Chargers 1969 3,302 14 Oakland Raiders
AAFC annual passing yards leaders
+ Key Symbol Meaning Leader The player who recorded the most passing yards in the AAFC 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
+ AAFC annual passing yards leaders by season Season Leader Team 1946 1,886* 12 Brooklyn Dodgers 1947 2,753* 14 Cleveland Browns 1948 (2) 2,713 14 Cleveland Browns 1949 (3) 2,785* 12 Cleveland Browns
Most seasons leading the league Count Player Seasons Team(s) 7 , , , , New Orleans Saints 5 1947, 1948, 1949, , Cleveland Browns , , , , Philadelphia Eagles (2), Washington Redskins (3) , , Miami Dolphins 4 , , , Washington Redskins , , , New England Patriots (3), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1) San Diego Chargers , , , Baltimore Colts 3 , , San Francisco 49ers 1965, 1968, San Diego Chargers , , Green Bay Packers , , Indianapolis Colts (2), Denver Broncos (1) 2 , Cincinnati Bengals 1961, 1963 Houston Oilers , Green Bay Packers , Green Bay Packers , Detroit Lions , Houston Oilers 1966, 1967 New York Jets , Pittsburgh Steelers 1960, 1962 Denver Broncos
See also List of NFL annual passing touchdowns leaders List of NFL annual pass completion percentage leaders List of NFL annual passer rating leaders List of NFL career passing yards leaders
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