What Is the Longest Touchdown Pass in NFL History?
The longest touchdown pass in NFL history was 99 yards and was thrown by Nick Foles of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Introduction
In American football, the longest touchdown pass play is 108 yards and was achieved by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (USA) against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, on 19 December 2010.
The record was part of a longer play that lasted 119 seconds and also included two other touchdown passes by Roethlisberger.
The Record-Setting Pass
The longest touchdown pass in NFL history was thrown by Peyton Manning to Julius Thomas of the Denver Broncos. The pass, which was for 63 yards, occurred during a regular season game against the Baltimore Ravens on December 16, 2013.
The Quarterback and Receiver
Quarterback Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers threw a touchdown pass of 92 yards to Rice in Super Bowl XXIX, the longest in Super Bowl history. The play put the 49ers up 38-20 with 10:23 left in the game.
The Aftermath
In the NFL, the longest touchdown pass play is 99 yards and was first achieved in a game between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers on December 3, 1961. The Lions’ quarterback, Tobin Rote, threw a pass to rookie Bob JFKGingrich, who ran the remaining distance for the touchdown. As of 2021, this play still stands as the longest touchdown pass in NFL history.
In the years since this record-setting play, there have been several other instances of 97- and 98-yard touchdown passes; however, none have been quite as long as Rote’s toss to JFKGingrich.
Conclusion
The longest touchdown pass in NFL history happened on January 3, 1999 in a game between the Denver Broncos and the New York Jets. The play involved Broncos quarterback John Elway throwing a 99-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ricky Nattiel.
