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]
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
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]
^"2022 NFL Rulebook". operations.nfl.com. Rule 11 Section 2 & Rule 3 Section 39.
Archived from the original on April 23, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
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]
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
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]
^"2022 NFL Rulebook". operations.nfl.com. Rule 11 Section 2 & Rule 3 Section 39.
Archived from the original on April 23, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.