List of National Football League annual passing yards leaders

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Peyton Manning holds the single-season passing yards record, throwing for 5,477 yards in 2013

This is a list of National Football League quarterbacks who have led the regular season in passing yards each year. The record for passing yards in a season is held by Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos who threw for 5,477 in 2013. Drew Brees has led the NFL in passing yards in seven seasons, more than any other quarterback in NFL history. Brees also has five 5,000 yard passing seasons.

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Passing yards leaders[]

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

Top 25 single-season passing yards leaders[]

The NFL requires players to reach certain minimums to qualify as a leader in per-game stats, percentage stats, and passer rating. Since 1978 the minimum number is 14 pass attempts per team game (224 per season). This is the yardage leaders list as compiled by Pro football reference.[1]

Updated through the 2021 season
Rank Player Yards Team Season
1 Peyton Manning 5,477 Denver Broncos 2013
2 Drew Brees 5,476 New Orleans Saints 2011
3 Tom Brady 5,316 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021
4 Tom Brady (2) 5,235 New England Patriots 2011
5 Drew Brees (2) 5,208 New Orleans Saints 2016
6 Drew Brees (3) 5,177 New Orleans Saints 2012
7 Drew Brees (4) 5,162 New Orleans Saints 2013
8 Ben Roethlisberger 5,129 Pittsburgh Steelers 2018
9 Jameis Winston 5,109 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2019
10 Patrick Mahomes 5,097 Kansas City Chiefs 2018
11 Dan Marino 5,084 Miami Dolphins 1984
12 Drew Brees (5) 5,069 New Orleans Saints 2008
13 Matthew Stafford 5,038 Detroit Lions 2011
14 Justin Herbert 5,014 Los Angeles Chargers 2021
15 Matthew Stafford (2) 4,967 Detroit Lions 2012
16 Drew Brees (6) 4,952 New Orleans Saints 2014
Ben Roethlisberger (2) Pittsburgh Steelers 2014
18 Matt Ryan 4,944 Atlanta Falcons 2016
19 Eli Manning 4,933 New York Giants 2011
20 Matt Ryan (2) 4,924 Atlanta Falcons 2018
21 Kirk Cousins 4,917 Washington Redskins 2016
22 Tony Romo 4,903 Dallas Cowboys 2012
23 Dak Prescott 4,902 Dallas Cowboys 2019
24 Matthew Stafford (3) 4,886 Los Angeles Rams 2021
25 Drew Brees (7) 4,870 New Orleans Saints 2015
Rank Player Yards Team Season

Other leagues[]

All-America Football Conference (AAFC)[]

Year Player Yards Team
1946 Glenn Dobbs 1,886 Brooklyn Dodgers
1947 Otto Graham 2,753 Cleveland Browns
1948 Otto Graham 2,713 Cleveland Browns
1949 Otto Graham 2,785 Cleveland Browns

American Football League (AFL)[]

Year Player Yards Team
1960 Frank Tripucka 3,038 Denver Broncos
1961 George Blanda 3,330 Houston Oilers
1962 Frank Tripucka 2,917 Denver Broncos
1963 George Blanda 3,003 Houston Oilers
1964 Babe Parilli 3,465 Boston Patriots
1965 John Hadl 2,798 San Diego Chargers
1966 Joe Namath 3,379 New York Jets
1967 Joe Namath 4,007 New York Jets
1968 John Hadl 3,473 San Diego Chargers
1969 Daryle Lamonica 3,302 Oakland Raiders

Most titles[]

Titles Player Years 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)
Dan Marino 1984–1986, 1988, 1992 Miami Dolphins
4 Sammy Baugh 1937, 1940, 1947–1948 Washington Redskins
Johnny Unitas 1957, 1959–1960, 1963 Baltimore Colts
Dan Fouts 1979–1982 San Diego Chargers
Tom Brady 2005, 2007, 2017, 2021 New England Patriots (3) , Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1)
3 Arnie Herber 1932, 1934, 1936 Green Bay Packers
John Brodie 1965, 1968, 1970 San Francisco 49ers
Peyton Manning 2000, 2003, 2013 Indianapolis Colts (2), Denver Broncos (1)

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "NFL Passing Yards Single-Season Leaders". Pro Football Reference.com. 2019-10-21.
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