Which non-QB has the most passing yards and touchdown passes in NFL history?
Tom Brady is the leading passer in NFL history in almost every cumulative category possible. Among his many NFL career records are 7,263 completions, 84,520 passing yards, and 624 passing touchdowns. He is also still active, so he will continue to add to his impressive career totals for some time more, at least.
Brady, of course, plays the quarterback position, which obviously explains why he is the all-time leader in the passing categories. Quarterbacks throw the ball far more than any other player on the football field, though they are not the only players allowed to throw the ball.
Per NFL rules, an unlimited number of lateral and backward passes are allowed during each offensive play of every game, while only one forward pass is permitted per offensive play.
This opens the door for teams to run trick plays by first having the quarterback distribute the ball to another player after the snap, before they are the ones who make the forward pass.
These particular plays have allowed players in other positions to accumulate passing statistics during their careers, including yards and touchdowns. One player has recorded more passing yards and passing touchdowns than any other since the official 1970 merger, among those who never played at quarterback.
Walter Payton is the all-time leading passer among all non-QBs in NFL history
Football was a completely different game in the days prior to the merger, with many players logging time at many different positions. This has caused several players to have more passing statistics with something other than the quarterback listed as their official position, but they played quarterback part-time.
Joe Webb has the most passing yards with 888 of any player since the merger, listed in a different position. He's officially a wide receiver, though he started four games as a quarterback during his career.
This eliminated him from contention for the non-quarterback passing title, leaving Walter Payton as the winner with 331 passing yards and eight passing touchdowns.
Payton is one of the greatest running backs of all time. He spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears, where he won an NFL MVP award and was selected to eight All-Pro teams. He is a Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion, as well as the all-time leading non-quarterback passer in NFL history.