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This is a list of the top 50 National Football League quarterbacks career regular season passing completions and attempts, of quarterback playoff completions and attempts by players with over 250 playoff completions, and combined career totals.
Tom Brady is the all-time leader in passing completions with 7,753 and passing attempts with 12,050. He also leads in playoff completions and attempts with 1,200 and 1,921, respectively.
Regular season completions leaders [ edit ]
Bolded players indicate making their debut on list.
Tom Brady is the all-time leader in passing attempts and completions.
Through 2023 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 )
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 –2022 )New York Jets (2023 –present)
5,001
7,661
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)
4,834
7,649
63.2%
12
John Elway ^
Denver Broncos (1983 –1998 )
4,123
7,250
56.9%
13
Joe Flacco *
Baltimore Ravens (2008 –2018 )Denver Broncos (2019 )New York Jets (2020 , 2021 –2022 )Philadelphia Eagles (2021 )Cleveland Browns (2023 )Indianapolis Colts (2024 –present)
4,004
6,503
61.6%
14
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%
15
Carson Palmer
Cincinnati Bengals (2003 –2010 )Oakland Raiders (2011 –2012 )Arizona Cardinals (2013 –2017 )
3,941
6,307
62.5%
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
Russell Wilson *
Seattle Seahawks (2012 –2021 )Denver Broncos (2022 –2023 )Pittsburgh Steelers (2024 –present)
3,668
5,665
64.7%
20
Derek Carr *
Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2014 –2022 )New Orleans Saints (2023 –present)
3,576
5,506
64.9%
21
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%
22
Kirk Cousins *
Washington Redskins (2012 –2017 )Minnesota Vikings (2018 –2023 )Atlanta Falcons (2024 –present)
3,465
5,177
66.9%
23
Joe Montana ^
San Francisco 49ers (1979 –1992 )Kansas City Chiefs (1993 –1994 )
3,409
5,391
63.2%
24
Andy Dalton *
Cincinnati Bengals (2011 –2019 )Dallas Cowboys (2020 )Chicago Bears (2021 )New Orleans Saints (2022 )Carolina Panthers (2023 –present)
3,408
5,454
62.5%
25
Dan Fouts ^
San Diego Chargers (1973 –1987 )
3,297
5,604
58.8%
26
Alex Smith
San Francisco 49ers (2005 –2012 )Kansas City Chiefs (2013 –2017 )Washington Football Team (2018 –2020 )
3,250
5,193
62.6%
27
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%
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
Ryan Tannehill *
Miami Dolphins (2012 –2018 )Tennessee Titans (2019 –2023 )
3,063
4,764
64.3%
32
Jay Cutler
Denver Broncos (2006 –2008 )Chicago Bears (2009 –2016 )Miami Dolphins (2017 )
3,048
4,920
62.0%
33
Boomer Esiason
Cincinnati Bengals (1984 –1992 , 1997 )New York Jets (1993 –1995 )Arizona Cardinals (1996 )
2,969
5,205
57.0%
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
Jared Goff *
Los Angeles Rams (2016 –2020 )Detroit Lions (2021 –present)
2,657
4,107
64.7%
48
Ken Anderson
Cincinnati Bengals (1971 –1986 )
2,654
4,475
59.3%
49
Dak Prescott *
Dallas Cowboys (2016 –present)
2,595
3,873
67.0%
50
Jim Hart
St. Louis Cardinals (1966 –1983 )Washington Redskins (1984 )
2,593
5,076
51.1%
Rank
Player
Team(s) by season
Through 2023 playoffs. [ 1] Based on at least 250 completions.
Historical passing completions leaders [ edit ]
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 , the Texas Christian U. star was rated 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 and a Super Bowl in the 1970s.
Fran Tarkenton about to throw a forward pass (1965)
Brett Favre had held the record from 2006 to 2018, when 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– 2024
^ 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.
^ "NFL Passes Completed Career Playoffs Leaders" . ProFootballReference.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2020 .
^ "NFL Passes Completed Career Leaders" . PFR . Archived from the original on November 3, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2018 .
^ "Arnie Herber stats" . Pro football reference.com . Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2018 .
^ "Sammy Baugh stats" . Pro football reference.com . Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2018 .
^ "Y.A. Tittle" . NFL.com . National Football League. Archived from the original on September 12, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2017 .
^ "Johnny Unitas stats" . Pro football reference.com . Archived from the original on November 15, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2018 .
^ "Fran Tarkenton stats" . Pro football reference.com . Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2018 .
^ "Dan Marino stats" . Pro football reference.com . Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2018 .
^ "Brett Favre stats" . Pro football reference.com . Retrieved May 6, 2018 .[permanent dead link ]
^ "Drew Brees stats" . PFRef.com . Archived from the original on July 13, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2018 .
^ "Tom Brady stats" . PFRef.com . Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2021 .
General Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Defense
Special teams
Scoring