It's the dream of every kid who's ever chucked a football to one day throw a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl. And for a handful of lucky future NFL players, that dream eventually became a reality.
Being on the all-time list of Super Bowl passing touchdown leaders is no small feat. Just look at the names at the top: A mix of Hall of Famers, recently retired GOATs and the active architect of four trips to the Super Bowl in a five-year span. Also, Russell Wilson is on here.
Let's take a deeper look at the 12 players that have thrown the most touchdown passes in Super Bowl history.
All-Time Super Bowl Passing Touchdown Leaders
| Rank | Player | Appearances | TD Passes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |   Tom Brady** |
10 | 21 |
| 2 |  Joe Montana* |
4 | 11 |
| 3 |  Terry Bradshaw* |
4 | 9 |
| 4 |  Roger Staubach* |
4 | 8 |
| 5 |  Patrick Mahomes** |
4 | 7 |
| T6 |   Kurt Warner* |
3 | 6 |
| T6 | Steve Young* |
2 | 6 |
| T8 | Troy Aikman* |
3 | 5 |
| T8 |  Brett Favre* |
2 | 5 |
| T10 |  Doug Williams |
1 | 4 |
| T10 |  Jim Plunkett |
2 | 4 |
| T10 |  Russell Wilson** |
2 | 4 |
*Pro Football Hall of Famer
**Active
Editor's Note: Super Bowls below are listed as part of the NFL season, not the date the game was played. For example, Super Bowl XXXVI took place on Feb. 3, 2002, but was the last game of the 2001 NFL postseason.
1. Tom Brady (21 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl XXXVI (2001): 1 TD
- Super Bowl XXXVIII (2003): 3 TDs
- Super Bowl XXXIX (2004): 2 TDs
- Super Bowl XLII (2007): 1 TD
- Super Bowl XLVI (2011): 2 TDs
- Super Bowl XLIX (2014): 4 TDs
- Super Bowl LI (2016): 2 TDs
- Super Bowl LII (2017): 3 TDs
- Super Bowl LII (2018): 0 TDs
- Super Bowl LV (2020): 3 TDs
Could it have been anyone else?
Brady will likely find himself at the top of this list until the sun envelops the Earth. The 10-time Super Bowl participant averages just over two touchdown passes per game in his NFL championship history, but that's more than enough to put him on top by nearly double over No. 2 on the list.
Brady's finest passing performance actually came in defeat, when he racked up a Super Bowl-record 505 yards and three scores in a 41-33 loss to Philadelphia at Super Bowl LII.
2. Joe Montana (11 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl XVI (1981): 1 TD
- Super Bowl XIX (1984): 3 TDs
- Super Bowl XXIII (1988): 2 TDs
- Super Bowl XXIV (1989): 5 TDs
Montana doesn't have quite as robust a Super Bowl resume as the guy ahead of him on this list, but before Brady shredded one NFL passing record after another, Montana was the best NFL championship quarterback in history.
Montana's four trips to the Super Bowl saw him pass for 1,142 yards with 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also had a pair of rushing TDs – Brady had zero in his 10 Super Bowl starts – and those 49ers teams went 4-0 while averaging nearly 35 points per game in those victories.
Montana's best showing came at Super Bowl XXIV, when he racked up five TD passes in a 55-10 drubbing of the Denver Broncos as San Francisco defended its title.
3. Terry Bradshaw (9 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl IX (1974): 1 TD
- Super Bowl X (1975): 2 TDs
- Super Bowl XIII (1978): 4 TDs
- Super Bowl XIV (1979): 2 TDs
Today's NFL fan has come to know Bradshaw more for his work on NFL panels and reality TV shows – but once upon a time, the Pittsburgh Steelers' great was one of the most decorated Super Bowl quarterbacks the league had ever seen.
Like Montana, Bradshaw reached the Big Game on four occasions, and came out the victor each time. He reserved his final performance for an epic Super Bowl XIII against Dallas, when he compiled 318 passing yards and threw for four touchdowns in a thrilling 35-31 win over the Cowboys. He would repeat as Super Bowl champion the following year.
4. Roger Staubach (8 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl VI (1971): 2 TDs
- Super Bowl X (1975): 2 TDs
- Super Bowl XII (1977): 1 TD
- Super Bowl XIII (1978): 3 TDs
Staubach was the losing QB in that 1978 classic against Bradshaw's Steelers – and ironically, it was far and away his best-ever showing at a Super Bowl, as well.
The three touchdowns Staubach threw in that Super Bowl XIII defeat were the most he had in four Super Bowl appearances; he went 2-1 in the others, prevailing 24-3 over the Miami Dolphins at Super Bowl VI and leading Dallas to a 27-10 rout of the Denver Broncos at Super Bowl XII. Staubach never threw for more than 228 yards in any Super Bowl, but with the Cowboys holding Miami and Denver to a combined 13 points, he just didn't have to do much.
5. Patrick Mahomes (7 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl LIV (2019): 2 TDs
- Super Bowl LV (2020): 0 TDs
- Super Bowl LVII (2022): 3 TDs
- Super Bowl LVIII (2023): 2 TDs
If anyone on this list is in position to climb the rankings in short order it's Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who appeared in the Super Bowl in four of the past five seasons.
Just 29 years old as of the 2024 NFL season, Mahomes has plenty of time to approach or even pass Brady – but still has plenty of work to do. He's averaging fewer than two touchdown passes over his Super Bowl career – and if he continues on that pace, he'd need eight more appearances just to tie Brady in all-time passing TDs.
T6. Kurt Warner (6 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl XXXIV (1999): 2 TDs
- Super Bowl XXXVI (2001): 1 TD
- Super Bowl XLIII (2008): 3 TDs
One of the greatest personal stories in NFL history belongs to Warner, who went from grocery bagger to Arena Football League legend to Pro Football Hall of Famer. And his improbable journey includes three Super Bowl trips across two franchises, though he only won once.
Say what you will about the on-field ringleader of the Greatest Show on Turf, but he gave everything he had in Super Bowl action. He threw for 414 yards and two scores in his lone Super Bowl win (XXXIV vs. Tennessee), then averaged 371 yards and two scores in his two defeats (XXXVI vs. New England and XLIII vs. Pittsburgh).
T6. Steve Young (6 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl XXIV (1989): 0 TDs
- Super Bowl XXIX (1995): 6 TDs
In terms of overall game result, Young's two Super Bowl appearances look strangely similar (mostly because the 49ers scored 55 and 49 points, respectively, in those games). But his contributions to those wins couldn't have been more different.
Young was limited to mop-up duty behind Montana in 1989, completing 2-of-3 passes for 20 yards. But the starting job was all his five years later, and he made the most of it: Young piled up an NFL-record six touchdowns as part of a 325-yard performance in a 49-26 drubbing of the San Diego Chargers.
T8. Troy Aikman (5 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl XXVII (1992): 4 TDs
- Super Bowl XXVIII (1993): 0 TDs
- Super Bowl XXX (1995): 1 TD
You can add Aikman to the esteemed list of quarterbacks with a perfect Super Bowl record for his career, winning all three of his NFL championship starts. He's also the all-time league leader in pass completion rate among Super Bowl QBs, having made good on 70 percent of attempts.
Aikman was at his Hall of Fame best in his first title game appearance at Super Bowl XXVII throwing four touchdown passes as the Cowboys decimated the Buffalo Bills. He led a Super Bowl repeat with a 30-13 win over the Bills at Super Bowl XXVIII, then guided Dallas past Pittsburgh at Super Bowl XXX for his third title in four years.
T8. Brett Favre (5 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl XXXI (1996): 2 TDs
- Super Bowl XXXII (1997): 3 TDs
Surely you've noticed the pattern where all-time greats made a habit of getting to the Super Bowl in back-to-back years. And Favre is front and center on that list, guiding the Green Bay Packers to consecutive NFL championship appearances in the mid-to-late 1990s (and going 1-1 in those games).
Favre played a major role in the Packers' Super Bowl XXXI victory over New England, throwing for a pair of TDs and adding a rushing score. He was even better the following year – racking up 256 passing yards and three scores – but ultimately fell short in a 31-24 defeat to the Broncos.
T10. Doug Williams (4 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl XXII (1987): 4 TDs
Williams has the most fascinating career arc of any quarterback on this list – check out his Wikipedia page for the full picture. And the highlight of his incredible NFL tenure is one of the greatest showings by any quarterback in Super Bowl history.
Following a middling regular season where he primarily served as the backup to Jay Schroeder, Williams was tabbed as the starter for the postseason – and promptly led Washington to an unlikely Super Bowl XXII appearance. There, he threw for 340 yards and four touchdowns en route to a stunning 42-10 rout of the Broncos.
T10. Jim Plunkett (4 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl XV (1980): 3 TDs
- Super Bowl XVIII (1983): 1 TD
Modern NFL fans might not remember the last time the Raiders franchise enjoyed sustained success. Yes, it's been a while – but long-time fans will have no difficulty recalling Plunkett's heroics, which rank among the greatest moments in franchise history.
The first overall pick in 1971 struggled early in his career but enjoyed a career renaissance in Oakland and Los Angeles, posting a 38-19 regular-season record while leading the Raiders to a pair of Super Bowl wins in four years. He was particularly sensational at Super Bowl XV, throwing for 261 yards and three scores in a 27-10 win over Philadelphia.
T10. Russell Wilson (4 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl XLVIII (2013): 2 TDs
- Super Bowl XLIX (2014): 2 TDs
Mr. Unlimited's presence on this list might surprise some people, but any quarterback that's been to multiple Super Bowls deserves some praise – and let's not forget Wilson's Seahawks made it in back-to-back seasons.
Wilson's NFL championship debut was emphatically successful, as he completed 76 percent of his passes while tossing a pair of TDs in a 43-8 drubbing of the Broncos. He added two more touchdown passes the following Super Bowl, but Seahawks fans would probably rather just forget about how that one turned out.
