The NFL has always featured stars at the quarterback position, which is now more important than ever. But who are the QBs who made the biggest impact for one team throughout their careers? Let’s answer that question by identifying the all-time passing leader for each NFL team.
Arizona Cardinals
Jim Hart – 1966-1983
Hart played for legendary head coach Don “Air” Coryell in the 1970s, whose pass-happy offense helped get him onto this list. Hart tossed for 34,639 yards in his time with the team, the St. Louis Cardinals at the time.
Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan – 2008-2021
Starring in Atlanta for 14 years, Ryan made four Pro Bowls and won NFL MVP in 2016. He was consistently one of the league’s better QBs in the 2010s and threw for an impressive 59,735 yards during his time with the Falcons.
Baltimore Ravens
Joe Flacco – 2008-2018
Flacco, like Ryan, was drafted in 2008 and became a stalwart at the QB position in the 2010s. He led the Ravens to a Super Bowl win in 2012 and accumulated 38,245 yards in Baltimore.
Buffalo Bills
Jim Kelly – 1986-1996
Leader of the sensational K-Gun offense, Kelly helped the Bills make four straight Super Bowls and is in the NFL’s Hall of Fame. Kelly racked up 35,467 yards in his 11 years in Buffalo.
Carolina Panthers
Cam Newton – 2011-2018
One of the most physically gifted quarterbacks ever, Newton terrified defenses with his strong arm and mobility. He won NFL MVP in 2015 and threw for 29,041 yards for the Panthers, one of the league’s youngest franchises.
Chicago Bears
Jay Cutler – 2009-2016
23,443 yards isn’t a high number compared to others on this list, but Cutler helped Chicago become contenders in the early 2010s. The Bears will hope Caleb Williams can be an outlier in their history of mediocre QB play.
Cincinnati Bengals
Ken Anderson – 1971-1986
The Bengals have had a good history of QBs, with Anderson ranking as the best one statistically. The 1981 NFL MVP, Anderson posted 32,838 yards in his time with Cincinnati.
Cleveland Browns
Brian Sipe – 1974-1983
Sipe is infamous for his 1980 playoff interception against the Raiders, but he had a good career outside of that moment. He accumulated 23,713 passing yards for the Browns, a total that has not been topped due to a horrendous string of QB-related decisions made by Cleveland.
Dallas Cowboys
Tony Romo – 2004-2016
Romo helped the Cowboys return to relevance following their dominance in the 1990s, although the team failed to reach a Super Bowl during his time there. He made four Pro Bowls and tossed for 34,183 yards in Dallas.
Denver Broncos
John Elway – 1983-1998
One of the best the NFL has ever seen, Elway delivered the Broncos two Super Bowls to end his career, adding to his enormous collection of achievements. The strong-armed passer totaled 51,475 yards with Denver.
Detroit Lions
Matthew Stafford – 2009-2020
Stafford’s big arm made him a legend in Detroit, and he’s still going strong in the NFL today as the QB for the Los Angeles Rams. Stafford established a special partnership with WR Calvin Johnson, helping him pass for 45,109 yards with the Lions.
Green Bay Packers
Brett Favre – 1992-2007
The gunslinger of all gunslingers, Favre led the NFL in career yards, touchdowns, and interceptions when he retired. The Packer legend won a Super Bowl in 1997 and threw for 61,655 yards with the team.
Houston Texans
Matt Schaub – 2007-2013
Schaub led the Texans to the majority of the playoff success the franchise has had. Schaub’s 23,221 yards lead the team largely because it is the youngest franchise in the NFL, and C.J. Stroud will have a good chance to beat that record.
Indianapolis Colts
Peyton Manning – 1998-2010
The Sheriff’s 54,828 yards for the Colts hardly due justice to just how good he was for Indy. He revolutionized the impact a quarterback could have on an offense with the way he scanned defenses and controlled the line of scrimmage to exploit any possible weakness.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Mark Brunell – 1995-2003
The lefty Brunell helped the expansion Jags quickly become one of the NFL’s best offenses. During his time in Jacksonville, Brunell accumulated 25,698 yards and helped the team reach two AFC title games.
Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes – 2018-present
Mahomes has only been in Kansas City for eight seasons, yet has become one of the best QBs the league has ever seen in that short period. Leading the Chiefs to three Super Bowl victories, the gunslinging Mahomes has totaled 32,352 passing yards so far in his career.
Las Vegas Raiders
Derek Carr – 2014-2022
Although his time with the Raiders ended rather unceremoniously, Carr made four Pro Bowls and helped right the ship following the team’s struggles in the early 2010s. Carr recorded 35,222 yards for the Silver and Black.
Los Angeles Chargers
Philip Rivers – 2004-2019
The Chargers may not have enjoyed too much playoff success with Rivers at the helm, but he was still one of the league’s best passers for over a decade. He passed for 59,271 yards to go along with his eight career Pro Bowls.
Los Angeles Rams
Jim Everett – 1986-1993
Everett may have preceded the Greatest Show on Turf by a few years, but he was a productive passer in his own right. He led the NFL in touchdown passes twice and posted 23,758 yards for the Rams.
Miami Dolphins
Dan Marino – 1983-1999
The career Dolphin retired as the NFL’s all-time leading passer with 61,361 career yards. He set an NFL record at the time with 48 TD passes in 1984, leading the Dolphins to the Super Bowl that year.
Minnesota Vikings
Fran Tarkenton – 1961-1966, 1972-1978
Tarkenton was a big part of the Vikings’ early success, even if it might not have resulted in any Super Bowls. The mobile passer tossed for 33,098 yards during his two stints with Minnesota.
New England Patriots
Tom Brady – 2000-2019
The best quarterback in league history, Brady tossed for 4,000 yards in 10 separate seasons and accumulated a whopping 74,571 passing yards during his time in New England. He also won three MVPs and six Super Bowls with the Pats.
New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees – 2006-2020
Although his career almost ended before it even got going, Brees overcame a severe shoulder injury to become one of the NFL’s best QBs ever. The 13-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champ racked up 68,010 career yards.
New York Giants
Eli Manning – 2004-2019
The younger (and worse) Manning brother had himself a very good career, throwing for 4,000 yards in seven different seasons and winning two Super Bowls. Eli threw for 57,023 yards during his time in the Big Apple.
New York Jets
Joe Namath – 1965-1976
Broadway Joe led the league in passing three times and helped the Jets to their iconic win in Super Bowl III. He totaled 27,057 passing yards in New York.
Philadelphia Eagles
Donovan McNabb – 1999-2009
McNabb had a knack for escaping defenses and punishing them with his arm afterwards. This style of running to throw helped McNabb make six Pro Bowls and rack up 32,873 career yards.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger – 2004-2021
Big Ben helped the Steelers win two Super Bowls during his long tenure as the team’s QB, throwing for 64,088 yards in the process. He also made six Pro Bowls during that span.
San Francisco 49ers
Joe Montana – 1979-1992
The perfect passer for Bill Walsh’s West Coast offense, Joe Cool dismantled defenses with elite accuracy and decision-making. The five-time Super Bowl champ and NFL Hall of Famer threw for 35,124 yards in the Bay.
Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson – 2012-2021
Russ may not look like such a great quarterback right now, but he truly was great in Seattle, where he made nine Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl. He recorded 37,059 yards for the Seahawks.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jameis Winston – 2015-2019
Despite only playing for the team for five years, Winston racked up 19,737 passing yards behind a big arm and gunslinging mentality – generating mixed results. In 2019, Winston became the first QB ever to throw 30 TDs and 30 interceptions in the same season.
Tennessee Titans
Warren Moon – 1984-1993
The talented Moon was one of the league’s first black quarterbacks, and also one of its best quarterbacks, period. He made nine Pro Bowls on his way to the Hall of Fame and totaled 33,685 passing yards.
Washington Commanders
Joe Theismann – 1974-1985
The talented Theismann won MVP in 1983, leading the best offense in NFL history at the time, and also made two Pro Bowls. He totaled 25,585 career yards before suffering a career-ending injury.
