List of NFL annual passing touchdowns leaders

Peyton Manning throwing a football
Peyton Manning holds the single-season passing touchdowns record, throwing 55 touchdowns in 2013.[1]

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]

  1. ^ a b c "NFL Passing Touchdowns Single-Season Leaders". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on April 11, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  2. ^ "Beginner's Guide to Football". National Football League. Archived from the original on February 16, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  3. ^ Brinson, Will (December 31, 2013). "NFL, Elias reviewing Peyton Manning passing record: lateral or pass?". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ NFL Communications (2022). "2022 NFL Fact and Record Book" (PDF). National Football League. p. 550. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 21, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  6. ^ "NFL's Passer Rating". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  7. ^ Wood, Kyle (August 9, 2022). "NFL Regular-Season Passing Touchdown Leader Betting Odds". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  8. ^ Marsh, Philip (July 4, 2023). "Who are the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time?". DAZN. Archived from the original on July 10, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.