Who Has the Most Touchdowns in NFL History? (QB Edition)

It’s a question that has been debated for years: who has the most touchdowns in NFL history? We take a look at the top quarterbacks in the league to see who really comes out on top.

Introduction

In the National Football League (NFL), the most important stat for a quarterback is the touchdown. Touchdowns signify that a quarterback was responsible for getting the ball into the end zone, and they are worth six points. In other words, touchdowns are how quarterbacks help their team score points and win games.

So, who has thrown the most touchdown passes in NFL history? That would be Peyton Manning, who played for the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos during his Hall of Fame career. Manning retired after the 2015 season with 539 touchdown passes, which is 200 more than the next closest quarterback, Brett Favre.

Here is a look at the top 10 quarterbacks in NFL history in terms of touchdown passes:

1. Peyton Manning – 539
2. Brett Favre – 442
3. Drew Brees – 421
4. Tom Brady – 414
5. Dan Marino – 420
6. Philip Rivers – 342
7. John Elway – 300
8. Fran Tarkenton – 342
9. Aaron Rodgers – 328
10. Warren Moon – 291

The Top Ten Quarterbacks with the Most Touchdowns in NFL History

Can you believe that there have been 1,371 different quarterbacks who have thrown a touchdown in the NFL? That’s a lot of different players! Today, we’re going to take a look at the top ten quarterbacks with the most touchdowns in NFL history.

Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning holds the record for most touchdown passes in NFL history, with 539. He played for the Indianapolis Colts from 1998 to 2011, and then for the Denver Broncos from 2012 to 2015. Manning was a 14-time Pro Bowl selection and was named the NFL Most Valuable Player five times.

Brett Favre

With a total of 508 career touchdown passes, Brett Favre holds the record for the most touchdown passes of all time. In his 20 seasons in the NFL, Favre played for three teams: the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, and Minnesota Vikings. He was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

Tom Brady

Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977), nicknamed “Tom Terrific” and “the G.O.A.T.”, is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, where he was a central figure of their dynasty: he led them to nine Super Bowl appearances, which they won six times, including five Super Bowls in which he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP), became the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns, won a record total of five regular season MVP awards, and was a 13-time Pro Bowler. After his departure from New England, Brady spent two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; led them to a Super Bowl championship in 2020, winning his seventh career Super Bowl; and earned his 11th consecutive Pro Bowl selection that year.

Brady is one of only two quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl in their first season as a starter (the other being Kurt Warner). He is also one of only three quarterbacks to win at least six Super Bowls (the other two being Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana). Brady has played in more playoff games than any other player at any position in NFL history, as well as appearing in 10+ playoff games in 17 separate seasons, both of which are NFL records among all players. Due to his numerous accomplishments, records, and accolades, Brady is considered by many sports analysts to be the greatest quarterback of all time.

Drew Brees

Drew Brees is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue, where he was a two-time consensus All-American.

Brees holds the NFL record for career passing yards (77,416), passing touchdowns (547), completion percentage (66.9%), and yards per attempt (8.4). He is also sixth all time in passing completions with 5,829. He has been selected to 12 Pro Bowls—including 10 consecutive Pro Bowls from 2004 to 2013—has been awarded five Associated Press All-Pro selections, and won both the AP Most Valuable Player Award and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award in 2009 while leading his team to victory in Super Bowl XLIV over the Indianapolis Colts 31–17 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Dan Marino

Dan Marino is a retired American football player who was a quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). The last quarterback of the class of 1983 to be taken in the first round, Marino became one of the most prolific quarterbacks in NFL history, holding or having held almost every major passing record. Despite never being on a Super Bowl-winning team, he is recognized as one of the greatest quarterbacks in American football history.

Philip Rivers

As of the end of the 2019 NFL season, Philip Rivers has the seventh most touchdown passes in NFL history with 374. He is also eighth in passing yards with 59,271.

Aaron Rodgers

In his young but accomplished career, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has already solidified himself as one of the best signal callers in NFL history. One look at his touchdown numbers confirms this fact. As of the end of the 2020 season, Rodgers has thrown 421 touchdown passes, which ranks him fourth all time in NFL history.

Eli Manning

Eli Manning holds the record for the most touchdown passes in NFL history with 539. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion and was named the MVP of both games. Manning played his entire career with the New York Giants and is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

Fran Tarkenton

In NFL history, only six quarterbacks have thrown for more than 300 touchdowns. Among them, Fran Tarkenton stands out as one of the most prolific touchdown passers of all time.

A nine-time Pro Bowl selection and a member of the NFL’s 1960s All-Decade Team, Tarkenton spent most of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, leading the team to three Super Bowl appearances. He also had stints with the New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In his 18 NFL seasons, Tarkenton completed 3,686 of 6,467 passes for 47,003 yards and 342 touchdowns. His 47,003 passing yards rank seventh in NFL history, while his 342 touchdown passes are good for ninth place all-time. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

John Elway

John Elway is a former American football quarterback who played his entire 16-year professional career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He owns many NFL records, including being the only quarterback to have more than 40,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards. Elway is also one of only two quarterbacks in history to win a Super Bowl in his final season as a player ( Drew Brees was the other). Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 in his first year of eligibility.

Conclusion

Peyton Manning holds the NFL record for most career touchdown passes with 539. He is followed by Brett Favre (508), Drew Brees (464), Tom Brady (452) and Dan Marino (420).