List of NFL annual passing touchdowns leaders

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.^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[4] 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.^[5] The NFL did not begin keeping official records until the 1932 season.^[6]

Peyton Manning holds the single-season passing touchdowns record, throwing 55 touchdowns in 2013.^[1]

Tom Brady has led the NFL in passing touchdowns five times, more than any other quarterback.^[7] Johnny Unitas is the only player to lead the league four times consecutively, doing so from 1957 through 1960.^[8] 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.^[1] Only two other players have recorded 50 or more passing touchdowns in a season, Brady and Patrick Mahomes.^[1]

NFL annual passing touchdowns leaders

Tom Brady led the league in passing touchdowns five times, an NFL record.^[7]

Johnny Unitas is the only player to have led the league in passing touchdowns in four consecutive seasons (1957–1960).^[8]

Y. A. Tittle held the record for most passing touchdowns in a season for 21 years and led the league in passing touchdowns three times.^[9]

Joe Burrow is the most recent passing touchdowns leader, heaving led the league in with 43 passing touchdowns in the 2024 season.^[10]

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[A]
†	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	TDs	GP	Team	Refs
1932	Arnie Herber†	9*	14	Green Bay Packers	[10][12]
1933	Harry Newman	11*	14	New York Giants	[10][13]
1934	Arnie Herber† (2)	8	11	Green Bay Packers	[10][12]
1935	Ed Danowski	10	12	New York Giants	[10][14]
1936	Arnie Herber† (3)	11	12	Green Bay Packers	[10][12]
1937	Bernie Masterson	9	10	Chicago Bears	[10][15]
1938	Bob Monnett	9	8	Green Bay Packers	[10][16]
1939	Frank Filchock	11	11	Washington Redskins	[10][17]
1940	Sammy Baugh†	12*	11	Washington Redskins	[10][18]
1941	Cecil Isbell	15*	11	Green Bay Packers	[10][19]
1942	Cecil Isbell (2)	24*	11	Green Bay Packers	[10][19]
1943	Sid Luckman†	28*	10	Chicago Bears	[10][20]
1944	Frank Filchock (2)	13	10	Washington Redskins	[10][17]
1945	Sid Luckman† (2)	14	10	Chicago Bears	[10][20]
	Bob Waterfield†		10	Cleveland Rams	[10][21]
1946	Sid Luckman† (3)	17	11	Chicago Bears	[10][20]
	Bob Waterfield† (2)		11	Los Angeles Rams	[10][21]
1947	Sammy Baugh† (2)	25	12	Washington Redskins	[10][18]
1948	Tommy Thompson	25	12	Philadelphia Eagles	[10][22]
1949	Johnny Lujack	23	12	Chicago Bears	[10][23]
1950	George Ratterman	22	12	New York Yanks	[10][24]
1951	Bobby Layne†	26	12	Detroit Lions	[10][25]
1952	Jim Finks†	20	12	Pittsburgh Steelers	[10][26]
	Otto Graham†		12	Cleveland Browns	[10][27]
1953	Bobby Thomason	21	12	Philadelphia Eagles	[10][28]
1954	Adrian Burk	23	12	Philadelphia Eagles	[10][29]
1955	Y. A Tittle†	17	12	San Francisco 49ers	[10][30]
	Tobin Rote		12	Green Bay Packers	[10][31]
1956	Tobin Rote (2)	18	12	Green Bay Packers	[10][31]
1957	Johnny Unitas†	24	12	Baltimore Colts	[10][32]
1958	Johnny Unitas† (2)	19	10	Baltimore Colts	[10][32]
1959	Johnny Unitas† (3)	32*	12	Baltimore Colts	[10][32]
1960	Johnny Unitas† (4)	25	12	Baltimore Colts	[10][32]
1961	Sonny Jurgensen†	32	14	Philadelphia Eagles	[10][33]
1962	Y. A Tittle† (2)	33*	14	New York Giants	[10][30]
1963	Y. A Tittle† (3)	36*	13	New York Giants	[10][30]
1964	Frank Ryan	25	14	Cleveland Browns	[10][34]
1965	John Brodie	30	13	San Francisco 49ers	[10][35]
1966	Frank Ryan (2)	29	14	Cleveland Browns	[10][34]
1967	Sonny Jurgensen† (2)	31	14	Washington Redskins	[10][33]
1968	Earl Morrall	26	14	Baltimore Colts	[10][36]
1969	Roman Gabriel	24	14	Los Angeles Rams	[10][37]
1970	John Brodie (2)	24	14	San Francisco 49ers	[10][35]
1971	John Hadl	21	14	San Diego Chargers	[10][38]
1972	Billy Kilmer	19	12	Washington Redskins	[10][39]
	Joe Namath†		13	New York Jets	[10][40]
1973	Roman Gabriel (2)	23	14	Philadelphia Eagles	[10][37]
	Roger Staubach†		14	Dallas Cowboys	[10][41]
1974	Ken Stabler†	26	14	Oakland Raiders	[10][42]
1975	Fran Tarkenton†	25	14	Minnesota Vikings	[10][43]
	Joe Ferguson		14	Buffalo Bills	[10][44]
1976	Ken Stabler† (2)	27	12	Oakland Raiders	[10][42]
1977	Bob Griese†	22	14	Miami Dolphins	[10][45]
1978	Terry Bradshaw†	28	16	Pittsburgh Steelers	[10][46]
1979	Steve Grogan	28	16	New England Patriots	[10][47]
	Brian Sipe		16	Cleveland Browns	[10][48]
1980	Steve Bartkowski	31	16	Atlanta Falcons	[10][49]
1981	Dan Fouts†	33	16	San Diego Chargers	[10][50]
1982	Dan Fouts† (2)	17	9	San Diego Chargers	[10][50]
	Terry Bradshaw† (2)		9	Pittsburgh Steelers	[10][46]
	Joe Montana†		9	San Francisco 49ers	[10][51]
1983	Lynn Dickey	32	16	Green Bay Packers	[10][52]
1984	Dan Marino†	48*	16	Miami Dolphins	[10][53]
1985	Dan Marino† (2)	30	16	Miami Dolphins	[10][53]
1986	Dan Marino† (3)	44	16	Miami Dolphins	[10][53]
1987	Joe Montana† (2)	31	13	San Francisco 49ers	[10][51]
1988	Jim Everett	31	16	Los Angeles Rams	[10][54]
1989	Jim Everett (2)	29	16	Los Angeles Rams	[10][54]
1990	Warren Moon†	33	15	Houston Oilers	[10][55]
1991	Jim Kelly†	33	15	Buffalo Bills	[10][56]
1992	Steve Young†	25	16	San Francisco 49ers	[10][57]
1993	Steve Young† (2)	29	16	San Francisco 49ers	[10][57]
1994	Steve Young† (3)	35	16	San Francisco 49ers	[10][57]
1995	Brett Favre†	38	16	Green Bay Packers	[10][58]
1996	Brett Favre† (2)	39	16	Green Bay Packers	[10][58]
1997	Brett Favre† (3)	35	16	Green Bay Packers	[10][58]
1998	Steve Young† (4)	36	15	San Francisco 49ers	[10][57]
1999	Kurt Warner†	41	16	St. Louis Rams	[10][59]
2000	Peyton Manning†	33	16	Indianapolis Colts	[10][60]
	Daunte Culpepper		16	Minnesota Vikings	[10][61]
2001	Kurt Warner† (2)	36	16	St. Louis Rams	[10][59]
2002	Tom Brady	28	16	New England Patriots	[10][62]
2003	Brett Favre† (4)	32	16	Green Bay Packers	[10][58]
2004	Peyton Manning† (2)	49*	16	Indianapolis Colts	[10][60]
2005	Carson Palmer	32	16	Cincinnati Bengals	[10][63]
2006	Peyton Manning† (3)	31	16	Indianapolis Colts	[10][60]
2007	Tom Brady (2)	50*	16	New England Patriots	[10][62]
2008	Drew Brees	34	16	New Orleans Saints	[10][64]
	Philip Rivers		16	San Diego Chargers	[10][65]
2009	Drew Brees (2)	34	16	New Orleans Saints	[10][64]
2010	Tom Brady (3)	36	16	New England Patriots	[10][62]
2011	Drew Brees (3)	46	16	New Orleans Saints	[10][64]
2012	Drew Brees (4)	43	16	New Orleans Saints	[10][64]
2013	Peyton Manning† (4)	55*	16	Denver Broncos	[10][60]
2014	Andrew Luck	40	16	Indianapolis Colts	[10][66]
2015	Tom Brady (4)	36	16	New England Patriots	[10][62]
2016	Aaron Rodgers^	40	16	Green Bay Packers	[10][67]
2017	Russell Wilson^	34	16	Seattle Seahawks	[10][68]
2018	Patrick Mahomes^	50	16	Kansas City Chiefs	[10][69]
2019	Lamar Jackson^	36	15	Baltimore Ravens	[10][70]
2020	Aaron Rodgers^ (2)	48	16	Green Bay Packers	[10][67]
2021	Tom Brady (5)	43	17	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	[10][62]
2022	Patrick Mahomes^ (2)	41	17	Kansas City Chiefs	[10][69]
2023	Dak Prescott^	36	17	Dallas Cowboys	[10][71]
2024	Joe Burrow^	43	17	Cincinnati Bengals	[10][72]

AFL annual passing touchdowns leaders

Len Dawson led the AFL in passing touchdowns four times.^[73]

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	TDs	GP	Team	Refs
1960	Al Dorow	26*	14	New York Titans	[10][74]
1961	George Blanda†	36*	14	Houston Oilers	[10][75]
1962	Len Dawson†	29	14	Dallas Texans	[10][76]
1963	Len Dawson† (2)	26	14	Kansas City Chiefs	[10][76]
1964	Babe Parilli	31	14	Boston Patriots	[10][77]
1965	Len Dawson† (3)	21	14	Kansas City Chiefs	[10][76]
1966	Len Dawson† (4)	26	14	Kansas City Chiefs	[10][76]
1967	Daryle Lamonica	30	14	Oakland Raiders	[10][78]
1968	John Hadl	27	14	San Diego Chargers	[10][38]
1969	Daryle Lamonica (2)	34	14	Oakland Raiders	[10][78]

Most seasons leading the league

Count	Player	Seasons	Team(s)	Ref.
5	Tom Brady	2002, 2007, 2010, 2015, 2021	New England Patriots (4) / Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1)	[10]
4	Drew Brees	2008, 2009, 2011, 2012	New Orleans Saints	[10]
	Len Dawson	1962, 1963, 1965, 1966	Kansas City Chiefs	[10]
	Brett Favre	1995–1997, 2002	Green Bay Packers	[10]
	Peyton Manning	2000, 2004, 2006, 2013	Indianapolis Colts (3) / Denver Broncos (1)	[10]
	Johnny Unitas	1957–1960	Baltimore Colts	[10]
	Steve Young	1992–1994, 1998	San Francisco 49ers	[10]
3	Arnie Herber	1932, 1934, 1936	Green Bay Packers	[10]
	Sid Luckman	1943, 1945, 1946	Chicago Bears	[10]
	Dan Marino	1984–1986	Miami Dolphins	[10]
	Y. A. Tittle	1955, 1962, 1963	San Francisco 49ers (1) / New York Giants (2)	[10]

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

Notes

1. The NFL did not have a set number of games for teams to play until the 1935 season, instead setting a minimum.^[11]