List of National Football League career passing completions leaders
This is a list of the top 50 National Football League quarterbacks career regular season passing completions and attempts. It also has quarterback playoff completions and attempts by players with over 250 playoff completions. It also has combined career totals.
Tom Brady has the most passing completions with 7,753. He also has the most passing attempts with 12,050. He also leads in playoff completions with 1,200. He also has the most playoff attempts with 1,921.
Regular season completions leaders
Tom Brady is the all-time leader in passing attempts and completions.
Through 2022 season.
Rank
Player
Team(s) by season
1
Tom Brady
New England Patriots (2000 –2019 )Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020 –2022 )
7,753
12,050
64.3%
2
Drew Brees
San Diego Chargers (2001 –2005 )New Orleans Saints (2006 –2020 )
7,142
10,551
67.7%
3
Brett Favre ^
Atlanta Falcons (1991 )Green Bay Packers (1992 –2007 )New York Jets (2008 )Minnesota Vikings (2009 –2010 )
6,300
10,169
62.0%
4
Peyton Manning ^
Indianapolis Colts (1998 –2011 )Denver Broncos (2012 –2015 )
6,125
9,380
65.3%
5
Matt Ryan *
Atlanta Falcons (2008 –2021 )Indianapolis Colts (2022 –present)
5,551
8,464
65.6%
6
Ben Roethlisberger
Pittsburgh Steelers (2004 –2021 )
5,440
8,443
64.4%
7
Philip Rivers
San Diego/L.A. Chargers (2004 –2019 )Indianapolis Colts (2020 )
5,277
8,134
64.9%
8
Aaron Rodgers *
Green Bay Packers (2005 –present)
5,001
7,660
65.3%
9
Dan Marino ^
Miami Dolphins (1983 –1998 )
4,967
8,358
59.4%
10
Eli Manning
New York Giants (2004 –2019 )
4,895
8,119
60.3%
11
Matthew Stafford *
Detroit Lions (2009 –2020 )Los Angeles Rams (2021 –present)
4,508
7,128
63.2%
12
John Elway ^
Denver Broncos (1983 –1998 )
4,123
7,250
56.9%
13
Warren Moon ^
Houston Oilers (1984 –1993 )Minnesota Vikings (1994 –1996 )Seattle Seahawks (1997 –1998 )Kansas City Chiefs (1999 –2000 )
3,988
6,823
58.4%
14
Carson Palmer
Cincinnati Bengals (2003 –2010 )Oakland Raiders (2011 –2012 )Arizona Cardinals (2013 –2017 )
3,941
6,307
62.5%
15
Joe Flacco *
Baltimore Ravens (2008 –2018 )Denver Broncos (2019 )New York Jets (2020 , 2021 –present)Philadelphia Eagles (2021 )
3,881
6,299
61.6%
16
Drew Bledsoe
New England Patriots (1993 –2001 )Buffalo Bills (2002 –2004 )Dallas Cowboys (2005 –2006 )
3,839
6,717
57.2%
17
Vinny Testaverde
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1987 –1992 )Cleveland Browns (1993 –1995 )Baltimore Ravens (1996 –1997 )New York Jets (1998 –2003 , 2005 )Dallas Cowboys (2004 )New England Patriots (2006 )Carolina Panthers (2007 )
3,787
6,701
56.5%
18
Fran Tarkenton ^
Minnesota Vikings (1961 –1966 , 1972 –1978 )New York Giants (1967 –1971 )
3,686
6,467
57.0%
19
Kerry Collins
Carolina Panthers (1995 –1998 )[ a] New Orleans Saints (1998 )New York Giants (1999 –2003 )Oakland Raiders (2004 –2005 )Tennessee Titans (2006 –2010 )Indianapolis Colts (2011 )
3,487
6,261
55.7%
20
Joe Montana ^
San Francisco 49ers (1979 –1992 )Kansas City Chiefs (1993 –1994 )
3,409
5,391
63.2%
21
Andy Dalton *
Cincinnati Bengals (2011 –2019 )Dallas Cowboys (2020 )Chicago Bears (2021 )New Orleans Saints (2022 –present)
3,374
5,396
62.5%
22
Russell Wilson *
Seattle Seahawks (2012 –2021 )Denver Broncos (2022 –present)
3,371
5,218
64.6%
23
Dan Fouts ^
San Diego Chargers (1973 –1987 )
3,297
5,604
58.8%
24
Alex Smith
San Francisco 49ers (2005 –2012 )Kansas City Chiefs (2013 –2017 )Washington de Team (2018 –2020 )
3,250
5,193
62.6%
25
Kirk Cousins *
Washington Redskins (2012 –2017 )Minnesota Vikings (2018 –present)
3,249
4,866
66.8%
26
Matt Hasselbeck
Green Bay Packers (1999 –2000 )Seattle Seahawks (2001 –2010 )Tennessee Titans (2011 –2012 )Indianapolis Colts (2013 –2015 )
3,222
5,330
60.5%
27
Derek Carr *
Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2014 –present)
3,201
4,958
64.6%
28
Donovan McNabb
Philadelphia Eagles (1999 –2009 )Washington Redskins (2010 )Minnesota Vikings (2011 )
3,170
5,374
59.0%
29
Dave Krieg
Seattle Seahawks (1980 –1991 )Kansas City Chiefs (1992 –1993 )Detroit Lions (1994 )Arizona Cardinals (1995 )Chicago Bears (1996 )Tennessee Oilers (1997 –1998 )
3,105
5,311
58.5%
30
Ryan Fitzpatrick
St. Louis Rams (2005 –2006 )Cincinnati Bengals (2007 –2008 )Buffalo Bills (2009 –2012 )Tennessee Titans (2013 )Houston Texans (2014 )New York Jets (2015 –2016 )Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2017 –2018 )Miami Dolphins (2019 –2020 )Washington Football Team (2021 )
3,072
5,060
60.7%
31
Jay Cutler
Denver Broncos (2006 –2008 )Chicago Bears (2009 –2016 )Miami Dolphins (2017 )
3,048
4,920
62.0%
32
Boomer Esiason
Cincinnati Bengals (1984 –1992 , 1997 )New York Jets (1993 –1995 )Arizona Cardinals (1996 )
2,969
5,205
57.0%
33
Ryan Tannehill *
Miami Dolphins (2012 –2018 )Tennessee Titans (2019 –present)
2,914
4,534
64.3%
34
Troy Aikman ^
Dallas Cowboys (1989 –2000 )
2,898
4,715
61.5%
35
Steve DeBerg
San Francisco 49ers (1978 –1980 )Denver Broncos (1981 –1983 )Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1984 –1987 , 1992 –1993 )[ b] Kansas City Chiefs (1988 –1991 )Miami Dolphins (1993 )Atlanta Falcons (1998 )
2,874
5,024
57.2%
Jim Kelly ^
Buffalo Bills (1986 –1996 )
4,779
60.1%
37
Jim Everett
Los Angeles Rams (1986 –1993 )New Orleans Saints (1994 –1996 )San Diego Chargers (1997 )
2,841
4,923
57.7%
38
Johnny Unitas *
Baltimore Colts (1956 –1972 )San Diego Chargers (1973 )
2,830
5,186
54.6%
39
Tony Romo
Dallas Cowboys (2003 –2016 )
2,829
4,335
65.3%
40
Mark Brunell
Green Bay Packers (1994 )Jacksonville Jaguars (1995 –2003 )Washington Redskins (2004 –2007 )New Orleans Saints (2008 –2009 )New York Jets (2010 –2011 )
2,761
4,640
59.5%
41
Steve McNair
Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans (1995 –2005 )Baltimore Ravens (2006 –2007 )
2,733
4,544
60.1%
42
Cam Newton
Carolina Panthers (2011 –2019 , 2021 )New England Patriots (2020 )
2,682
4,474
59.9%
43
Jon Kitna
Seattle Seahawks (1997 –2000 )Cincinnati Bengals (2001 –2005 )Detroit Lions (2006 –2008 )Dallas Cowboys (2009 –2011 , 2013 )
2,677
4,442
60.3%
44
Brad Johnson
Minnesota Vikings (1994 –1998 ), (2005 –2006 )Washington Redskins (1999 –2000 )Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2001 –2004 )
2,668
4,324
61.7%
45
Steve Young ^
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1985 –1986 )San Francisco 49ers (1987 –1999 )
2,667
4,149
64.3%
46
Kurt Warner ^
St. Louis Rams (1998 –2003 )New York Giants (2004 )Arizona Cardinals (2005 –2009 )
2,666
4,070
65.5%
47
Ken Anderson
Cincinnati Bengals (1971 –1986 )
2,654
4,475
59.3%
48
Jim Hart
St. Louis Cardinals (1966 –1983 )Washington Redskins (1984 )
2,593
5,076
51.1%
49
Phil Simms
New York Giants (1979 –1993 )
2,576
4,647
55.4%
50
Rich Gannon
Minnesota Vikings (1987 –1992 )Washington Redskins (1993 )Kansas City Chiefs (1995 –1998 )Oakland Raiders (1999 –2004 )
2,533
4,206
60.2%
Playoff leaders
Through start of Super Bowl LVII of 2022 playoffs. [ 1] At least 250 completions.
Historical passing completions leaders
Nine players are recognised as having held the record as the NFL's career pass completions leader.[ 2] The longest record holder was Fran Tarkenton who held the record for 20 years.
"Slinging Sammy" Baugh , is seen as one of the greatest of his generation
Y A Tittle retired as the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions, and games played
Johnny Unitas won an NFL title in the 1950s. He also won a Super Bowl in the 1970s.
Fran Tarkenton about to throw a forward pass in 1965
Brett Favre had held the record from 2006 to 2018, It was broken by Drew Brees. He had also held the record for career pass attempts from 2008 to 2020.
Player
Team(s) while leader
Career completions
Season
1932 –1940 (9 years)
Arnie Herber ^ [ 3]
Green Bay Packers
37
1932
87
1933
129
1934
169
1935
246
1936
293
1937
315
1938
372
1939
410
1940
1941 –1959 (19 years)
Sammy Baugh ^ [ 4]
Washington Redskins
414
1941
546
1942
670
1943
761
1944
889
1945
976
1946
1,186
1947
1,371
1948
1,516
1949
1,606
1950
1,673
1951
1,693
1952–1959
1960 –1968 (9 years)
Y. A. Tittle ^ [ 5]
San Francisco 49ers (1960 ) New York Giants (1961 –1964 )
1,696
1960
1,859
1961
2,059
1962
2,280
1963
2,427
1964–1968
1969 –1974 (6 years)
Johnny Unitas ^ [ 6]
Baltimore Colts (1969 –1972 )San Diego Chargers (1973 )
2,450
1969
2,616
1970
2,708
1971
2,796
1972
2,830
1973–1974
1975 –1994 (20 years)
Fran Tarkenton ^ [ 7]
Minnesota Vikings
2,931
1975
3,186
1976
3,341
1977
3,686
1978–1994
1995 –2005 (11 years)
Dan Marino ^ [ 8]
Miami Dolphins
3,913
1995
4,134
1996
4,453
1997
4,763
1998
4,967
1999–2005
2006 –2017 (12 years)
Brett Favre ^ [ 9]
Green Bay Packers (2006 –2007 )New York Jets (2008 )Minnesota Vikings (2009 –2010 )
5,021
2006
5,377
2007
5,720
2008
6,083
2009
6,300
2010–2017
2018 –2020 (3 years)
Drew Brees [ 10]
New Orleans Saints
6,586
2018
6,867
2019
7,142
2020
Since 2021 ( 4 years)
Tom Brady [ 11]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7,263
2021
7,753
2022– 2025
Related pages
Notes
↑ Collins was traded during the 1998 season; he played four games for the Panthers and seven for the Saints.
↑ DeBerg was cut during the 1993 season; he played three games for the Buccaneers and five for the Dolphins.
References
General Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Defense
Special teams
Scoring