List of NFL annual passing touchdowns leaders


In American football, passing, along with running, 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 passing touchdown leaders, league record books recognize the passing touchdown leaders of the American Football League, 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

SymbolMeaning
LeaderThe player who recorded the most passing touchdowns in the NFL
TDsThe total number of passing touchdowns the player had
GPThe 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

SeasonLeaderTeam
9*14Green Bay Packers
11*14New York Giants
811Green Bay Packers
1012New York Giants
1112Green Bay Packers
910Chicago Bears
98Green Bay Packers
1111Washington Redskins
12*11Washington Redskins
15*11Green Bay Packers
24*11Green Bay Packers
28*10Chicago Bears
1310Washington Redskins
1410Chicago Bears
1410Cleveland Rams
1711Chicago Bears
1711Los Angeles Rams
2512Washington Redskins
2512Philadelphia Eagles
2312Chicago Bears
2212New York Yanks
2612Detroit Lions
2012Pittsburgh Steelers
2012Cleveland Browns
2112Philadelphia Eagles
2312Philadelphia Eagles
1712San Francisco 49ers
1712Green Bay Packers
1812Green Bay Packers
2412Baltimore Colts
1910Baltimore Colts
32*12Baltimore Colts
2512Baltimore Colts
3214Philadelphia Eagles
33*14New York Giants
36*13New York Giants
2514Cleveland Browns
3013San Francisco 49ers
2914Cleveland Browns
3114Washington Redskins
2614Baltimore Colts
2414Los Angeles Rams
2414San Francisco 49ers
2114San Diego Chargers
1912Washington Redskins
1913New York Jets
2314Philadelphia Eagles
2314Dallas Cowboys
2614Oakland Raiders
2514Minnesota Vikings
2514Buffalo Bills
2712Oakland Raiders
2214Miami Dolphins
2816Pittsburgh Steelers
2816New England Patriots
2816Cleveland Browns
3116Atlanta Falcons
3316San Diego Chargers
179San Diego Chargers
179Pittsburgh Steelers
179San Francisco 49ers
3216Green Bay Packers
48*16Miami Dolphins
3016Miami Dolphins
4416Miami Dolphins
3113San Francisco 49ers
3116Los Angeles Rams
2916Los Angeles Rams
3315Houston Oilers
3315Buffalo Bills
2516San Francisco 49ers
2916San Francisco 49ers
3516San Francisco 49ers
3816Green Bay Packers
3916Green Bay Packers
3516Green Bay Packers
3615San Francisco 49ers
4116St. Louis Rams
3316Indianapolis Colts
3316Minnesota Vikings
3616St. Louis Rams
2816New England Patriots
3216Green Bay Packers
49*16Indianapolis Colts
3216Cincinnati Bengals
3116Indianapolis Colts
50*16New England Patriots
3416New Orleans Saints
3416San Diego Chargers
3416New Orleans Saints
3616New England Patriots
4616New Orleans Saints
4316New Orleans Saints
55*16Denver Broncos
4016Indianapolis Colts
3616New England Patriots
^4016Green Bay Packers
^3416Seattle Seahawks
^5016Kansas City Chiefs
^3615Baltimore Ravens
^ 4816Green Bay Packers
4317Tampa Bay Buccaneers
^ 4117Kansas City Chiefs
^3617Dallas Cowboys
^4317Cincinnati Bengals
^4617Los Angeles Rams