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Quarterback play has been hit or miss in the NFL over the years. Best passers ranked by team. Who leads your favorite team in career passing yards?
Every NFL Team's Most Prolific Passer of All Time
NFL quarterbacks have evolved with every era. What was once a running league has become a passer’s dream. Some teams have had success with long-term quarterbacks while others have been stuck in mediocrity. Still, each team has an all-time leading passer, no matter how many yards they threw for. Let’s take a look at where each team’s all-time leader in passing yards stands.
32. Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 19,737 yards
Although he is a failed No. 1 overall pick, Jameis Winston racked up serious stats in Tampa Bay. Unfortunately, Winston added many interceptions to his many yards and flamed out. Still, it is impressive that he owns this record.
31. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans, 23,221 yards
Matt Schaub was the Texans’ first legitimate franchise quarterback. He had a handful of very solid seasons and managed to lead to the team to the playoffs a few times.
30. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears – 23,443 yards
The Bears have notoriously never had a 4,000-yard passer, and Jay Cutler is one of the poster children for that stat. Ironically, Cutler had a 4,000-yard season with the Broncos the year before he was traded to the Bears.
29. Brian Snipe, Cleveland Browns – 23,715 yards
Have you ever heard of Brian Snipe? It is unlikely that most people outside of Cleveland have heard the name. The Browns aren’t known for their all-time stellar quarterback play, and Snipe was less than spectacular during his time with the team in the 1970s. He had a great name and great hair, though.
28. Jim Everett, Los Angeles Rams – 23,758 yards
Jim Everett starred for the Rams back in the late 1980s. He was a member of the team much longer than prolific passers Matthew Stafford and Kurt Warner, and his record has stood for over 30 years.
27. Joe Theisman, Washington Commanders – 25,206 yards
Joe Theismann brought Washington its second Super Bowl title in the 1980s. He suffered a gruesome broken leg that ended his career in 1986. He was certainly Washington’s most prolific quarterback of all time.
26. Mark Brunell, Jacksonville Jaguars – 25,698 yards
Mark Brunell was one of the original players on the Jaguars’ inaugural team. He quarterbacked the team for several years before moving on to Washington. He was solid in his time as a Jaguar, and the next player with a chance to break his record is current quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
25. Joe Namath, New York Jets – 27,057 yards
“Broadway Joe” was all about the show. He is widely regarded as New York’s best quarterback of all time, but he was not necessarily a great quarterback. Still, he led them to a Super Bowl win and will forever live in infamy.
24. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers – 29,725 yards
Cam Newton’s career was derailed and ultimately cut short by injuries, but he enjoyed several extraordinary years in Carolina. The guy was a beast and earned the MVP award in 2015. Although he fell short in the Super Bowl that season, Newton was the Panthers’ first truly great quarterback.
23. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs – 32,352 yards
The best quarterback in the game already owns the team record for passing yards. He will be near the top of this list by the time he retires, and his record is likely going to stand for a very long time.
22. Ken Anderson, Cincinnati Bengals – 32,838 yards
Ken Anderson enjoyed a solid career for the Bengals in the 1970s and 1980s. However, current quarterback Joe Burrow has his sights set on this record. He is likely only a few seasons away from doing so.
21. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles – 32,873 yards
Donovan McNabb enjoyed a lot of success with head coach Andy Reid in Philadelphia. It is only fitting that Reid has two quarterbacks on this list.
20. Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings – 33,098 yards
Fran Tarkenton was widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time when he retired in 1978. He had two stints with the Vikings and was a prolific passer in an age when running was the main part of the game.
19. Warren Moon, Tennessee Titans – 33,685 yards
Warren Moon was a great quarterback for the then-Houston Oilers in the 1980s and 1990s. His highlights include an OPOY award in 1990 and two seasons with at least 4,689 passing yards.
18. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys – 34,183 yards
Tony Romo was known for his great regular season success and choking in the playoffs. Overall, he was a solid quarterback who put up great numbers. Unfortunately, current quarterback Dak Prescott needs less than 3,000 yards to break this record. Prescott will likely take the mantle this coming season.
17. Jim Hart, Arizona Cardinals - 34,639 yards
Jim Hart is an unknown name, but he played for the Cardinals back when they were still in St. Louis. While he never had an otherworldly season, his 18-season stint with the team allowed him to rack up numbers.
16. Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers – 35,124 yards
Surprisingly, Joe Montana did not put up massive numbers for the 49ers. In fact, Montana finished his career with just 40,551 passing yards. Still, he is one of the greatest winners of all time.
15. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders – 35,222 yards
Derek Carr got a lot of criticism during his time with the Raiders, but he had a solid career. The newly retired quarterback seemed to always hover around 4,000 passing yards in a season.
14. Jim Kelly, Buffalo Bills – 35,467 yards
Jim Kelly did a great job quarterbacking the Bills in the 1990s. He led them to four straight Super Bowl appearances, although they lost each one. His record is still very well cushioned from current quarterback Josh Allen, but Allen will likely close the gap over the next few seasons.
13. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks – 37,059 yards
Russell Wilson may be a strange character, but there is no denying his greatness in Seattle. He led the team to its first Super Bowl win in 2013 and played at an MVP-level until his departure in 2022.
12. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens – 38,245 yards
Joe Flacco was the Ravens’ first great quarterback and stabilized the position for the team. They have since moved on to Lamar Jackson, but Flacco will be in the record books for a long time.
11. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions – 45,109 yards
Matthew Stafford and the Lions were stuck in mediocrity for a long time. However, Stafford formed a tandem with wide receiver Calvin Johnson that was nearly unstoppable. The Lions may have been average, but Stafford certainly was not.
10. John Elway, Denver Broncos – 51,475 yards
John Elway’s record with the Broncos figures to stand for a long time. He was a fantastic player with the team, leading them to two straight Super Bowl titles at the end of his career.
9. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts – 54,828 yards
Peyton Manning was made the Indianapolis Colts for a long time. As their pseudo on-field offensive coordinator, Manning’s cerebral approach to the game resulted in a lot of wins and a lot of yards.
8. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons – 59,735 yards
Matt Ryan and the Falcons won a fair number of games during his tenure, and he racked up serious yards with wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones. Ryan is easily the team’s best quarterback of all time, but Michael Penix Jr. will attempt to have something to say about that.
7. Eli Manning, New York Giants – 57,023 yards
Eli Manning was always regarded as mediocre, but he accumulated some of the most statistics of all time in several categories. The team only made six playoff appearances in Manning’s 16 seasons, but they did win two Super Bowls.
6. Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers – 59,271 yards
Philip Rivers may have had an unconventional throwing motion, but it allowed him to rack up almost 60,000 passing yards in San Diego. Rivers could never translate his statistical success to consistent playoff success, but he left the Chargers as the best quarterback to ever play there.
5. Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins – 61,361 yards
Dan Marino was regarded as the greatest quarterback to ever play when he retired in 1999. He was the first next-level passer in the NFL and ushered in a new age centered on the passing game.
4. Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers – 61,655 yards
Brett Favre’s longevity and gun-slinging attitude allowed him to rack up serious yards. He retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards. The guy had no regard for ball security which made him great.
3. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers – 64,088 yards
Ben Roethlisberger is synonymous with Steelers football. He quarterbacked a great era for Pittsburgh in the 2000s and 2010s. Given the current state of the team’s quarterback situation, they would probably love the have Roethlisberger behind center.
2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints – 68,010 yards
Drew Brees found his footing in New Orleans and never let up under the tutelage of head coach Sean Payton. The duo brought the team its first Super Bowl title, and Brees will be in the Hall of Fame soon enough.
1. Tom Brady, New England Patriots – 74,571 yards
Tom Brady is the game’s greatest quarterback of all time. He did most of his damage in New England, and his team record for passing yards is something players can only dream of sniffing. What is more impressive is that he finished his career with 89,214 yards after three seasons in Tampa Bay.
