The Top 5 Most Prolific Touchdown Passers in NFL History

This football season marks a milestone - Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers passed Dan Marino's National Football League (NFL) record for touchdowns thrown in a career, a record he had held since November 26, 1995 when he hit Keith Byars against the Indianapolis Colts. Interestingly enough, Keith Byars caught the record breaking pass for most completions in a career as well five weeks earlier against the same Indianapolis Colts.

This article looks at the other three, sometimes forgotten, men making up the Top 5 list of most prolific touchdown passers.

Francis Asbury Tarkenton

Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants

Third All Time 342 Touchdowns

Tarkenton was drafted in the third round of the 1961 draft and came in off the bench to quarterback the Minnesota Vikings to their first victory in their first game as a franchise. He threw 4 touchdowns and ran for a fifth. The Vikings announced their presence to the NFL by pasting the Chicago Bears 37-13. After the 1966 season, he was traded to the New York Giants for a 1st and 2nd-round choice in 1967, a 1st-round choice in 1968 and a 2nd-round choice in 1969. He played in New York until he was traded back to the Vikings in 1972 for Norm Snead, Bob Grim, Vince Clements and a 1st-round draft choice in 1972 and 1973. The Vikings had selected Grim with one of the picks from the Giants in the original trade.

He led the Vikings to three Super Bowls, two consecutively. He has written several books, has been a television personality, and started several companies. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1986.

John Albert Elway, Jr.

Denver Broncos

Fourth All Time, 300 Touchdowns

The first pick of the 1983 NFL draft was held by the Baltimore Colts. With that pick, they drafted John Elway from Stamford University. An accomplished baseball player as well as football player, he publicly stated he would not join the Colts organization and demanded a trade. He had been drafted by the Kansas City Royals and the New York Yankees and the insinuation was that he would play baseball instead.

On May 2, he was traded to the Denver Broncos for QB Mark Herrmann, rights to OL Chris Hinton and a first-round pick in the 1985 Draft.

He led the Broncos to Super Bowl XXI in 1986, Super Bowl XXII in 1987, and Super Bowl XXIV but all by significant margins; the deficit in Super Bowl XXIV erased the futility of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX against the Chicago Bears out of the record books. He eventually did lead the Broncos back to the Super Bowl, and for consecutive appearances, winning Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII. He retired after becoming MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII.

He owns a share of an Arena Football League team, has owned several auto dealerships, and has two restaurants. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2004.

Harold Warren Moon

Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs

Fifth All Time, 291 touchdowns

Moon was not drafted in the 1978 NFL draft and began his football career in the Canadian Football League with the Edmonton Eskimos. From 1978-1982 he was part of a run of Grey Cup Championships for the Eskimos - the Grey Cup is the CFL Championship. During his CFL career, he threw 114 touchdown passes which are not included in the NFL records.

He left the CFL and was signed by the Oilers as a free agent where he stayed until 1993 when he was traded to the Vikings. The most memorable game with the Oilers was the 1992 Wild Card Match up with the Buffalo Bills where the Oilers frittered away a 35-3 lead and lost the game in overtime as the Bills went on to their second consecutive Super Bowl (a run which would extend to four). His first two years in Minnesota were generally successful missed 8 games of the 1996 season with a broken collarbone. After Brad Johnson was named the starting quarterback for the Vikings, Moon signed on with the Seahawks and later with the Chiefs.

He now does some television commentary and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006.

REFERENCES:

"HISTORY: Dolphins Honors - Dan Marino #13" URL: http://www.miamidolphins.com/newsite/
history/dolphinshonors/dolphinshonors_marino_d.asp

"Minnesota Vikings" URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Vikings

"Fran Tarkenton" URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran_Tarkenton

"John Elway" URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Elway

"Warren Moon" URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Moon

http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?PLAYER_ID=64

http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=256

http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=209