From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
List of gridiron football quarterbacks passing statistics
none
none
This is a list of gridiron football quarterbacks passing statistics for quarterbacks that have played outdoor professional football in North America. Below is a listing of the combined professional football league leaders for passing yards, passing touchdowns, passing completions, and passing attempts.
Because indoor football is played on a much shorter field and heavily favors offensive scoring, its records are not included in the main list, but are noted in a separate addendum below; likewise, as is standard for statistical record-keeping, exhibition games, all-star games (such as the Pro Bowl) and preseason contests are not counted.
During the NFL season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady passed Drew Brees to become the all-time passing yards leader in professional football league history. Brees had surpassed Anthony Calvillo for the record in the previous season, while Calvillo had surpassed Damon Allen for the record in the CFL season. Allen broke the previous record held by Warren Moon in . Moon had held the record since when he surpassed the record set by Ron Lancaster, who had surpassed Johnny Unitas during the CFL season. Unitas established the record set forth in this listing, while Aaron Rodgers is the leading active QB chasing Brady.
In the NFL season, Brady surpassed Brees for the all-time passing touchdowns record; Brees had surpassed Peyton Manning for the record the season before. Manning had held the record since the NFL season when he surpassed Brett Favre's record. Prior to that, Brett Favre held the record since the NFL season when he surpassed Warren Moon's record. Moon had held the record since when he surpassed the record set by Fran Tarkenton. Tarkenton had surpassed Johnny Unitas during the NFL season. Ron Lancaster overtook Tarkenton's lead in the touchdown pass category during the CFL season. However, Tarkenton retook the lead during the NFL season. Unitas established the record set forth in this listing.
Brady has held the record for pass completions since passing Brees during the 2021 NFL season; Brees surpassed Brett Favre during the season. Favre had held the previous record since the season when he surpassed Warren Moon's record. Moon had held the record since 1992 when he surpassed the record set by Fran Tarkenton. Tarkenton had surpassed Johnny Unitas during the NFL season. Unitas established the record set forth in this listing.
Brady has held the record for pass completions since passing Brees during the 2021 NFL season; Brees surpassed Brett Favre during the season. Favre had held the previous record since the season when he surpassed Warren Moon's record. Moon had held the record since 1992 when he surpassed the record set by Fran Tarkenton. Tarkenton had surpassed Johnny Unitas during the NFL season. Unitas established the record set forth in this listing. Brady has held the record for pass attempts since the 2020 NFL season when he surpassed Brees, who had surpassed Favre earlier in the same season. Prior to being surpassed by both Brady and Brees during the 2020 NFL season, Favre had held the record since , when he surpassed Warren Moon. Moon had held the record since when he surpassed the record set by Fran Tarkenton. Tarkenton had surpassed Johnny Unitas during the 1975 NFL season. Unitas established the record set forth in this listing.
Brady, Moon, and Unitas are the only gridiron quarterbacks to have held the record in all four of the major passing categories (passing yards, passing touchdowns, pass completions, and pass attempts) at the same time. Brees held each of the four records at one point during his career, but never held all four of them at the same time.
Other categories from this listing that provides all-time leaders include Rodgers, who is pro football's all-time passer rating leader, Ricky Ray, who is the all-time pass completion percentage leader, and Ron Lancaster, who is pro football's all-time interceptions leader.
When considering regular season and post season combined, Brady is the all-time leader in gridiron passing yards with 102,614, which surpassed Calvillo's mark of 82,365 yards in 2019. Brady is also the leader in all the other three major categories when considering post season performances (737 touchdown passes; 8,953 pass completions; 13,971 pass attempts).
All-time outdoor professional quarterback passing statistics
:Updated through current season; minimum 40,000 passing yards. :Bold and highlight denotes an active player.
| Rank | Name | Tenure | Leagues | Attempts | Completions | Comp % | TDs | INTs | Yardage | Passer rating | References | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2000–2022 | NFL | 12,050 | 7,753 | 64.3 | 649 | 212 | 89,214 | 97.2 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2001–2020 | 10,551 | 7,142 | 67.7 | 571 | 243 | 80,358 | 98.7 | |||||||||
| 3 | 1994–2013 | CFL | 9,437 | 5,892 | 62.4 | 455 | 224 | 79,816 | 95.5 | work=TotalFootballStats.com | url=http://www.totalfootballstats.com/PlayerQB.asp?id=1205625 | title=Anthony Calvillo CFL Statistics thru 2012 | accessdate= June 28, 2017}} | ||||
| 4 | 1985–2007 | CFL | 9,138 | 5,158 | 56.5 | 394 | 278 | 72,381 | 83.8 | work=TotalFootballStats.com | url=http://www.totalfootballstats.com/PlayerQB.asp?id=1203719 | title=Damon Allen CFL Statistics | accessdate= June 28, 2017}} | ||||
| 5 | 1998–2015 | NFL | 9,380 | 6,125 | 65.3 | 539 | 251 | 71,940 | 96.5 | ||||||||
| 6 | 1991–2010 | 10,169 | 6,300 | 62.0 | 508 | 336 | 71,838 | 86.0 | |||||||||
| 7 | 1977–2000 | NFL/CFL | 9,205 | 5,357 | 58.2 | 435 | 310 | 70,553 | 84.2 | work=ProFootballHoF.com | url=http://www.profootballhof.com/players/warren-moon/stats/ | title=Jim Kelly CFL/NFL Statistics | accessdate= June 28, 2017}} | ||||
| 8 | Since 2005 | NFL | 8,743 | 5,696 | 65.1 | 527 | 123 | 66,274 | 102.2 | ||||||||
| 9 | Since 2009 | 8,763 | 5,562 | 63.5 | 423 | 196 | 64,516 | 92.4 | |||||||||
| 10 | 2004–2021 | NFL | 8,433 | 5,440 | 64.4 | 418 | 211 | 64,088 | 93.5 | ||||||||
| 11 | 1997–2016 | CFL/NFL/NFLE | 7,576 | 4,711 | 62.2 | 382 | 237 | 64,023 | 92.9 | work=TotalFootballStats.com | url=http://www.totalfootballstats.com/PlayerQB.asp?id=1205625 | title=Henry Burris CFL/NFL/NFLE Statistics thru 2012 | accessdate= June 28, 2017}} | ||||
| 12 | 2004–2020, since 2025 | NFL | 8,226 | 5,335 | 64.9 | 425 | 212 | 63,984 | 95.0 | ||||||||
| 13 | 2008–2022 | NFL | 8,464 | 5,551 | 65.6 | 381 | 183 | 62,792 | 93.6 | ||||||||
| 14 | 1983–1999 | 8,358 | 4,967 | 59.4 | 420 | 252 | 61,361 | 86.4 | |||||||||
| 15 | 2002–2018 | CFL | 7,301 | 4,976 | 68.2 | 324 | 177 | 60,736 | 98.4 | work=CFL.ca | url=https://CFL.ca/players/Ricky-Ray/80458/ | title=Ricky Ray Stats | accessdate=2018-06-18}} | ||||
| 16 | 1985–2005 | CFL/NFL/USFL | 7,276 | 4,286 | 58.9 | 369 | 237 | 58,179 | 87.8 | work=The Boston Globe | url=http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/graphics/05_16_06_flutie_stats/ | title=Doug Flutie CFL/NFL/USFL Statistics | accessdate=September 21, 2010 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102070037/http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/graphics/05_16_06_flutie_stats/ | archivedate=November 2, 2012}} | |
| 17 | 2004–2019 | NFL | 8,119 | 4,894 | 60.3 | 366 | 244 | 57,023 | 84.1 | ||||||||
| 18 | 1988–2006 | CFL/NFL | 6,689 | 3,640 | 54.4 | 259 | 281 | 53,255 | 76.1 | work=TotalFootballStatscom | url=http://TotalFootballStats.com/PlayerQB.asp?id=1203717 | title=Danny McManus CFL Stats | accessdate=June 28, 2017}} | ||||
| 19 | 2001–2018 | CFL | 6,434 | 4,068 | 63.2 | 294 | 207 | 52,867 | 90.8 | work=CFL.ca | URL=https://CFL.ca/players/Kevin-Glenn/63531/ | title=Kevin Glenn CFL stats | accessdate=June 28, 2017}} | ||||
| 20 | 1983–1999 | NFL | 7,250 | 4,123 | 56.9 | 300 | 226 | 51,475 | 79.9 | ||||||||
| 21 | 1960–1978 | CFL | 6,233 | 3,384 | 54.3 | 333 | 396 | 50,535 | 72.4 | work=JustSportsStats.com | url=http://www.justsportsstats.com/footballstatsindex.php?player_id=lancaron001 | title=Ron Lancaster CFL Statistics | accessdate= June 28, 2017}} | ||||
| 22 | Since 2008 | NFL | 7,167 | 4,417 | 61.6 | 272 | 172 | 48,176 | 84.1 | ||||||||
| 23 | 1961–1978 | NFL | 6,467 | 3,686 | 57.0 | 342 | 266 | 47,003 | 80.4 | ||||||||
| 24 | Since 2012 | NFL | 6,120 | 3,951 | 64.6 | 353 | 114 | 46,966 | 99.3 | ||||||||
| 25 | 2003–2017 | NFL | 6,307 | 3,941 | 62.5 | 294 | 187 | 46,247 | 87.9 | ||||||||
| 26 | 1987–2007 | 6,701 | 3,787 | 56.5 | 275 | 267 | 46,233 | 75.0 | |||||||||
| 27 | 1984–1996 | NFL/USFL | 5,933 | 3,604 | 60.7 | 320 | 195 | 45,309 | 88.8 | work=ProFootballHoF.com | url=http://www.profootballhof.com/players/jim-kelly/stats/ | title=Jim Kelly NFL/USFL Statistics | accessdate= June 28, 2017}} | ||||
| 28 | Since 2012 | NFL | 5,899 | 3,934 | 66.7 | 298 | 131 | 44,700 | 96.8 | ||||||||
| 29 | 1993–2006 | NFL | 6,717 | 3,839 | 57.2 | 250 | 115 | 44,611 | 77.1 | ||||||||
| 30 | Since 2012 | CFL | 5,238 | 3,422 | 65.3 | 262 | 128 | 44,319 | 98.3 | publisher=Canadian Football League | url=https://www.cfl.ca/players/bo-levi-mitchell/158222/ | title=Bo Levi Mitchell | accessdate= October 25, 2025}} | ||||
| 31 | 1983–1996 | CFL | 5,476 | 3,057 | 55.8 | 306 | 211 | 43,857 | 84.6 | work=TotalFootballStats.com | url=http://TotalFootballStats.com/PlayerQB.asp?id=1205581 | title=Matt Dunigan CFL Ststistics | accessdate=June 28, 2017}} | ||||
| 32 | 1994–2011 | CFL/NFL/UFL | 5,955 | 3,645 | 61.2 | 272 | 146 | 43,300 | 88.9 | work=TotalFootballStats.com | url=http://www.totalfootballstats.com/PlayerQB.asp?id=1374 | title=Jeff García CFL/NFL/UFL Statistics | accessdate=June 28, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120110218/http://totalfootballstats.com/PlayerQB.asp?id=1374 | archive-date=January 20, 2013 | url-status=dead}} | |
| 33 | 1973–1987 | NFL | 5,604 | 3,297 | 58.8 | 254 | 242 | 43,040 | 80.2 | ||||||||
| 34 | 2014–2024 | 5,785 | 3,765 | 65.1 | 257 | 112 | 41,245 | 92.8 | |||||||||
| 35 | 1995–2011 | 6,261 | 3,487 | 55.7 | 208 | 196 | 40,922 | 73.8 | |||||||||
| 36 | 1979–1994 | 5,391 | 3,409 | 63.2 | 273 | 139 | 40,551 | 92.3 | |||||||||
| 37 | 1987–1999 | CFL | 4,945 | 2,670 | 54.0 | 284 | 164 | 40,534 | 86.6 | work=TotalFootballStats.com | url=http://www.totalfootballstats.com/PlayerQB.asp?id=1205628 | title=Tracy Ham CFL Statistics | accessdate= June 28, 2017}} | ||||
| 38 | 1956–1973 | NFL | 5,186 | 2,830 | 54.6 | 290 | 253 | 40,239 | 78.2 |
= Leader in category for outdoor gridiron football. = Former leader in category for outdoor gridiron football.
North American outdoor gridiron football leagues
;The following leagues are eligible for inclusion for statistical purposes:
- National Football League (NFL), since 1920
- Canadian Football League (CFL) and predecessors, 1929–2019, 2021–¹
- Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA), 2016–2019, 2022–
- UFL and its component XFL and USFL conferences, 2020, 2022–²
;The following former leagues include statistics for players who attained the minimum 40,000 passing yards:
- United States Football League (USFL), 1983–1985, 2022–2023
- NFL Europe (NFLE), 1991–1992; 1995–2007
- United Football League (UFL), 2009–2012
- Alliance of American Football (AAF), 2019²
Notes:
- ¹ The CFL's East Division has existed since 1907 but did not legalize the forward pass until 1929.
- ² To date, these leagues have not had any quarterbacks whose career statistics rank high enough to qualify for this list. Quarterbacks who played in these leagues are still active in professional football and thus, in theory, could appear on this list in the future.
- The inclusion of a league in this list does not imply major or minor league status. No players who played in the American Football League threw for 40,000 career yards, even as NFL and CFL quarterbacks from the same era achieved that feat.
Addendum
For the purpose of this list, indoor American football statistics have been excluded. While overall passing yards are not substantially greater in a given indoor football game compared to a CFL or NFL contest, the number of touchdowns in that form of the sport is far higher, and a list including them would invariably favor indoor football quarterbacks in the number of touchdowns thrown. Quarterbacks who would qualify for this list in yardage statistics if indoor football statistics are included are listed here separately:
- Ricky Ray has 1,296 additional passing yards from his time with the Fresno Frenzy of AF2 which was a league of indoor gridiron football. These passing yards are not included in the totals above since this list consists only outdoor gridiron football statistics and because AF2, the extinct minor league of the defunct Arena Football League, played at a semi-professional level. (Ray, though he was on the 53-man roster of the NFL's New York Jets in 2004, spent the entire season as the third-string quarterback and never took a snap or threw a pass during his time in the NFL.)
- Kurt Warner has 44,931 gridiron passing yards. However, this list consists only outdoor gridiron football. His outdoor gridiron football statistics from his time in the NFL (32,344 passing yards) and his time with the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe (2,101 passing yards)Kurt Warner jersey and football added to Hall's collection totals 34,445 outdoor gridiron passing yards. He also passed for 10,486 yards as a member of the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League, which is played indoors.
- Aaron Garcia has 62,180 gridiron passing yards. However, all of his totals were accumulated in the now-defunct Arena Football League. Six other AFL players (Mark Grieb, Clint Dolezel, Andy Kelly, Sherdrick Bonner, John Dutton, Tommy Grady) have amassed over 40,000 gridiron football passing yards indoors (Grieb has an additional 499 yards for his play with the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe and 408 yards for his play with the Las Vegas Outlaws of the original 2001 version of the XFL, while Kelly has additional yardage from his time with the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe, then known as the World League. Dutton reached 40,000 combined with his one year in the Indoor Football League. Grady completed his milestone during his time in the National Arena League.).
References
References
- (October 11, 2011). "Who is pro football's all-time passing leader? Try Anthony Calvillo". USA Today.
- "Quarterbacks Who Played in the NFL and CFL". Rutgers.edu.
- "PFR Stats Attempts". ProFootballReference.com.
- "PFR Stats Completions". ProFootballReference.com.
- "PFR Stats Comp %". ProFootballReference.com.
- "PFR Stats Touchdowns". ProFootballReference.com.
- "PFR Stats Interceptions". ProFootballReference.com.
- "PFR Stats Yardage". ProFootballReference.com.
- "PFR Stats Rating". ProFootballReference.com.
- [https://thecanadian.news/2020/12/21/drew-brees-breaks-anthony-calvillo-record/ Drew Brees breaks Anthony Calvillo record]
- [https://nationalpost.com/sports/football/cfl/calvillo-breaks-pro-footballs-passing-record Alouettes’ Calvillo breaks pro football's passing record]
- (September 4, 2006). "Argos' Allen is football's top passer". CBC Sports.ca.
- [https://www.denverpost.com/2019/12/16/drew-brees-breaks-peyton-mannings-record/ Saints’ Drew Brees breaks Peyton Manning’s career touchdown pass record]
- [https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/11731334/peyton-manning-denver-broncos-breaks-brett-favre-all-touchdown-pass-record Peyton Manning breaks TD record]
- [https://www.nfldraftdiamonds.com/2014/07/warren-moon-combine-cfl-nfl-stats-rank-second-nfl/ If Warren Moon was to combine his CFL and NFL stats he would rank second in the NFL]
- [http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24771889/drew-brees-passes-brett-favre-most-career-completions Drew Brees passes Brett Favre for most career completions]
- [https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=434437 CALVILLO WILL NOT RETURN TO ALOUETTES THIS SEASON]
- [https://www.cfl.ca/2010/11/18/by-the-numbers-playoff-performers/ By the numbers: playoff performers]
- [http://pfref.com/tiny/Fg0bY Pass Yards Reg+Post]
- "Anthony Calvillo CFL Statistics thru 2012". TotalFootballStats.com.
- "Anthony Calvillo CFL Statistics Summary". CFLStats.com.
- "Damon Allen CFL Statistics". TotalFootballStats.com.
- "Jim Kelly CFL/NFL Statistics". ProFootballHoF.com.
- "Henry Burris CFL/NFL/NFLE Statistics thru 2012". TotalFootballStats.com.
- "Henry Burris CFL Statistics". CFL.ca.
- "Ricky Ray Stats". CFL.ca.
- "Doug Flutie CFL/NFL/USFL Statistics". The Boston Globe.
- "Danny McManus CFL Stats". TotalFootballStatscom.
- "Kevin Glenn CFL stats". CFL.ca.
- "Ron Lancaster CFL Statistics". JustSportsStats.com.
- "Jim Kelly NFL/USFL Statistics". ProFootballHoF.com.
- "Bo Levi Mitchell". [[Canadian Football League]].
- "Matt Dunigan CFL Ststistics". TotalFootballStats.com.
- "Jeff García CFL/NFL/UFL Statistics". TotalFootballStats.com.
- "Tracy Ham CFL Statistics". TotalFootballStats.com.
- [https://cflpa.com/players/ricky-ray/ Highlights]
- [http://www.nfl.com/player/kurtwarner/2503540/profile Kurt Warner – Profile]
- {{usurped
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110722093117/http://claymores.com/team/statistics/1998.php Claymores 1998 Statistics]
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about List of gridiron football quarterbacks passing statistics — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report