League Leaders Who Led?

NFL Single-Season Passing Touchdowns Record Progression

Every season that raised the bar, and the leader in every season between.

All-time career leaders →

The NFL single-season passing touchdowns record is 55, set by Peyton Manning in 2013. It has stood for 12 years. The mark has been raised 13 times since 1923.

YDSTDRTGY/ACMP%Y/GCMPATT1DTD%INTINT%SK

Record Holders

14 marks since 1923
Year Player TD Stood for
2013 Peyton Manning Peyton Manning 55 still standing
2007 Tom Brady Tom Brady 50 6 years
2004 Peyton Manning Peyton Manning 49 3 years
1984 Dan Marino Dan Marino 48 20 years
1963 Y.A. Tittle Y.A. Tittle 36 21 years
1962 Y.A. Tittle Y.A. Tittle 33 1 year
1959 Johnny Unitas Johnny Unitas 32 3 years
1943 Sid Luckman Sid Luckman 28 16 years
1942 Cecil Isbell 24 1 year
1941 Cecil Isbell 15 1 year
1940 Sammy Baugh Sammy Baugh 12 1 year
1933 Harry Newman Harry Newman 11 7 years
1932 Arnie Herber 9 1 year
1923 Doug Roby 3 9 years

The earliest marks here are records only in the sense that nobody had done better yet. Season length, schedule and the rules themselves have all changed, so a figure from the 1870s is not comparable with a modern one and is not offered as though it were.

Every Season

107 seasons
Year Leader TD
2025 Matthew Stafford 46
2024 Joe Burrow 43
2023 Dak Prescott 36
2022 Patrick Mahomes 41
2021 Tom Brady 43
2020 Aaron Rodgers 48
2019 Lamar Jackson 36
2018 Patrick Mahomes 50
2017 Russell Wilson 34
2016 Aaron Rodgers 40
2015 Tom Brady 36
2014 Andrew Luck 40
2013 Peyton Manning 55 new record
2012 Drew Brees 43
2011 Drew Brees 46
2010 Tom Brady 36
2009 Drew Brees 34
2008 Philip Rivers 34
2008 Drew Brees 34
2007 Tom Brady 50 new record
2006 Peyton Manning 31
2005 Carson Palmer 32
2004 Peyton Manning 49 new record
2003 Brett Favre 32
2002 Tom Brady 28
2001 Kurt Warner 36
2000 Peyton Manning 33
2000 Daunte Culpepper 33
1999 Kurt Warner 38
1998 Steve Young 36
1997 Brett Favre 35
1996 Brett Favre 39
1995 Brett Favre 38
1994 Steve Young 35
1993 Steve Young 29
1992 Steve Young 25
1991 Jim Kelly 33
1990 Warren Moon 33
1989 Jim Everett 29
1988 Jim Everett 31
1987 Joe Montana 31
1986 Dan Marino 44
1985 Dan Marino 30
1984 Dan Marino 48 new record
1983 Lynn Dickey 32
1982 Terry Bradshaw 17
1982 Joe Montana 17
1982 Dan Fouts 17
1981 Dan Fouts 33
1980 Steve Bartkowski 31
1979 Steve Grogan 28
1979 Brian Sipe 28
1978 Terry Bradshaw 28
1977 Bob Griese 22
1976 Ken Stabler 27
1975 Joe Ferguson 25
1975 Fran Tarkenton 25
1974 Ken Stabler 26
1973 Roman Gabriel 23
1973 Roger Staubach 23
1972 Joe Namath 19
1972 Billy Kilmer 19
1971 John Hadl 21
1970 John Brodie 24
1969 Roman Gabriel 24
1968 Earl Morrall 26
1967 Sonny Jurgensen 31
1966 Frank Ryan 29
1965 John Brodie 30
1964 Frank Ryan 25
1963 Y.A. Tittle 36 new record
1962 Y.A. Tittle 33 new record
1961 Sonny Jurgensen 32
1960 Johnny Unitas 25
1959 Johnny Unitas 32 new record
1958 Johnny Unitas 19
1957 Johnny Unitas 24
1956 Tobin Rote 18
1955 Y.A. Tittle 17
1955 Tobin Rote 17
1954 Adrian Burk 23
1953 Bobby Thomason 21
1952 Otto Graham 20
1952 Jim Finks 20
1951 Bobby Layne 26
1950 George Ratterman 22
1949 Johnny Lujack 23
1948 Tommy Thompson 25
1947 Sammy Baugh 25
1946 Sid Luckman 17
1946 Bob Waterfield 17
1945 Sid Luckman 14
1945 Bob Waterfield 14
1944 Frank Filchock 13
1943 Sid Luckman 28 new record
1942 Cecil Isbell 24 new record
1941 Cecil Isbell 15 new record
1940 Sammy Baugh 12 new record
1939 Frank Filchock 11
1938 Bob Monnett 9
1937 Bernie Masterson 9
1936 Arnie Herber 11
1935 Ed Danowski 10
1934 Arnie Herber 8
1933 Harry Newman 11 new record
1932 Arnie Herber 9 new record
1923 Doug Roby 3 new record