New England Patriots All-Time Passing Touchdown Leaders

New England Patriots all-time passing touchdown leaders is another franchise record list dominated by Tom Brady. Brady did not just lead the Patriots in passing touchdowns; he built the greatest quarterback run the team has ever seen and turned New England into a six-time Super Bowl champion during his era.

Still, this list has more depth than just Brady. Steve Grogan ranks second because of his long, tough Patriots career. Drew Bledsoe gave the franchise a true star quarterback before the dynasty. Babe Parilli was the AFL-era standout. Jim Plunkett, Tony Eason, Drake Maye, Mac Jones, Butch Songin and Mike Taliaferro all represent different chapters of Patriots passing history.

This ranking uses regular-season passing touchdowns with the New England Patriots only. It does not include playoff touchdowns, preseason touchdowns or passing touchdowns from other NFL teams.

How This Patriots Passing TDs List Works

This list ranks the New England Patriots career passing touchdown leaders by regular-season passing TDs recorded with the Patriots franchise. That includes the Boston Patriots era, but it does not include touchdowns thrown for any other NFL team.

That matters for players like Tom Brady and Jim Plunkett. Brady added more touchdowns later with Tampa Bay, while Plunkett’s larger NFL legacy became tied to the Raiders. For this Patriots list, only New England production counts.

Era context also matters. Modern quarterbacks play in a league built for passing, while older Patriots quarterbacks dealt with different rules, lower completion rates and more physical defensive play. Passing touchdowns are still one of the cleanest ways to measure quarterback production, but the numbers need some historical context.

For the yardage version of this franchise leaderboard, check out the Patriots all-time passing yards leaders.

1. Tom Brady — 541 Passing TDs

Patriots Stats & Accolades: 541 passing touchdowns, 74,571 passing yards, 6,377 completions, 63.8 completion percentage, 97.0 passer rating, six Super Bowl championships with New England.

Tom Brady is the clear No. 1 on the Patriots passing touchdowns list. His 541 regular-season touchdown passes with New England are not just a franchise record; they are the foundation of the greatest quarterback run in team history.

Brady’s Patriots career stretched across multiple eras of the offense. He won early with defense, toughness and situational football, then later became one of the NFL’s most dangerous volume passers. Different receivers came and went, but Brady kept producing.

The gap between Brady and everyone else on this list is massive. That says everything about his longevity, consistency and control of the Patriots offense for two decades. He is also the centerpiece of any serious best quarterbacks of all-time debate.

2. Steve Grogan — 182 Passing TDs

Patriots Stats & Accolades: 182 passing touchdowns, 26,886 passing yards, 1,879 completions, 149 games with New England.

Steve Grogan ranks second in Patriots career passing touchdowns, which shows how important he was before the Brady and Bledsoe eras. Grogan was tough, mobile and never afraid to take hits in a much rougher quarterback environment.

His passing numbers were built over a long New England career, and he also brought a running threat that made him different from many quarterbacks of his time. He was not just a stat compiler; he was one of the franchise’s defining offensive players for years.

Grogan being ahead of Drew Bledsoe in passing TDs is one of the more interesting parts of this list. It reminds fans how much production he gave the Patriots over a long stretch.

3. Drew Bledsoe — 166 Passing TDs

Patriots Stats & Accolades: 166 passing touchdowns, 29,657 passing yards, 2,544 completions, 124 games with New England.

Drew Bledsoe ranks third in Patriots career passing touchdowns. Before the Brady dynasty, Bledsoe was the quarterback who gave New England real star power and helped pull the franchise back into relevance.

He had a huge arm, carried heavy passing volume and helped lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl appearance. In the 1990s, Bledsoe gave New England the feeling that it finally had a long-term franchise quarterback.

His career is often remembered through the Brady transition, but Bledsoe’s own Patriots résumé is strong. He remains top three in both passing yards and passing touchdowns for the franchise, which keeps him high in the best New England Patriots players of all-time conversation.

4. Babe Parilli — 132 Passing TDs

Patriots Stats & Accolades: 132 passing touchdowns, 16,747 passing yards, 1,140 completions, AFL-era Patriots quarterback.

Babe Parilli ranks fourth in Patriots career passing TDs and remains one of the most important quarterbacks from the franchise’s early years. He played during the Boston Patriots era, when the team was still establishing itself in the AFL.

Parilli’s passing numbers deserve era context. Quarterbacks in that period threw in a tougher environment, with lower completion percentages and more interceptions across the league.

Even with that context, 132 touchdown passes is a major franchise total. Parilli gave the early Patriots a real quarterback identity before the team became the modern New England Patriots.

5. Jim Plunkett — 62 Passing TDs

Patriots Stats & Accolades: 62 passing touchdowns, 9,932 passing yards, 729 completions, 61 games with New England.

Jim Plunkett ranks fifth on the Patriots passing touchdowns list. His greatest NFL success came later with the Raiders, but his professional career started in New England with major expectations.

The Patriots were not an easy situation during Plunkett’s time with the team. He had talent, toughness and a big arm, but the structure around him was not always strong enough to produce consistent winning.

Even so, Plunkett threw 62 touchdown passes for New England. His Patriots chapter was complicated, but it still left him inside the franchise’s top five in passing TDs.

6. Tony Eason — 60 Passing TDs

Patriots Stats & Accolades: 60 passing touchdowns, 10,732 passing yards, 876 completions, 80.6 passer rating with New England.

Tony Eason ranks sixth in Patriots career passing touchdowns. His New England run came during the 1980s, including the team’s breakthrough trip to Super Bowl XX.

Eason had flashes of efficient quarterback play and helped the Patriots win games during an important era. His career is sometimes viewed through the disappointment of that Super Bowl loss, but his regular-season production still belongs in the franchise record book.

With 60 touchdown passes, Eason sits just behind Jim Plunkett and ahead of several more recent Patriots quarterbacks.

7. Drake Maye — 46 Passing TDs

Patriots Stats & Accolades: 46 passing touchdowns, 6,670 passing yards, 579 completions, 69.8 completion percentage, 103.1 passer rating with New England.

Drake Maye is already tied for seventh in Patriots career passing touchdowns, and he is the active player on this list with the clearest chance to keep climbing. His early production has quickly changed the feeling around New England’s post-Brady quarterback search.

Maye’s arm talent and athletic ability give the Patriots a different ceiling. The touchdown production is especially important because it shows he is not just moving the ball; he is finishing drives.

If Maye stays healthy and continues developing, he could move into the top five quickly. Brady’s record is on another planet, but the rest of the list is much more reachable.

7. Mac Jones — 46 Passing TDs

Patriots Stats & Accolades: 46 passing touchdowns, 8,918 passing yards, 864 completions, 66.1 completion percentage with New England.

Mac Jones is tied with Drake Maye at 46 passing touchdowns. His Patriots career started with a promising rookie season, when he looked accurate, calm and comfortable in a structured offense.

After that, things became more uneven. Offensive changes, protection issues and inconsistent development made it difficult for Jones to build on his rookie success.

Even with the disappointing finish, Jones still produced enough to sit inside the Patriots top 10 in both passing yards and passing touchdowns.

9. Butch Songin — 36 Passing TDs

Patriots Stats & Accolades: 36 passing touchdowns, 3,905 passing yards, 285 completions, early Boston Patriots quarterback.

Butch Songin ranks ninth in Patriots career passing touchdowns. He was part of the franchise’s earliest years, when the Boston Patriots were still finding their place in professional football.

Songin’s total of 36 touchdown passes may look small now, but it carried more weight in the early 1960s. The game was different, the season structure was different and passing volume was nowhere close to what modern quarterbacks get.

His spot in the top 10 keeps him connected to the foundation of Patriots quarterback history.

10. Mike Taliaferro — 27 Passing TDs

Patriots Stats & Accolades: 27 passing touchdowns, 3,920 passing yards, 305 completions, 32 games with the Patriots.

Mike Taliaferro rounds out the top 10 in Patriots career passing touchdowns. He played during the late 1960s and early 1970s, bridging the Boston Patriots era into the early New England Patriots years.

His passing totals were not huge, but he did enough to remain part of the franchise’s career touchdown leaderboard. That matters because the Patriots had plenty of quarterback turnover before their later stability arrived.

Taliaferro’s place on this list is more about franchise history than star-level fame, but he still belongs in the top 10.

Biggest Takeaways From the Patriots Passing TDs List

The biggest takeaway is how far ahead Tom Brady is. His 541 Patriots passing touchdowns are nearly three times Steve Grogan’s total, which shows how dominant and long-lasting Brady’s New England career was.

The second takeaway is that Steve Grogan’s touchdown total deserves more respect. Many fans think of Bledsoe as the main pre-Brady quarterback, but Grogan is actually second in Patriots career passing TDs.

The third takeaway is the tie between Drake Maye and Mac Jones. Jones already finished his Patriots chapter, while Maye still has a chance to climb much higher if he continues as New England’s starter.

Full Ranking Table: New England Patriots All-Time Passing Touchdown Leaders

Note: This table is sorted by regular-season passing touchdowns with the Patriots only. It includes Boston Patriots and New England Patriots franchise stats, but not playoff touchdowns or touchdowns from other teams.

FAQ: Most Passing TDs in New England Patriots History

Who has the most passing TDs in New England Patriots history?

Tom Brady has the most passing touchdowns in New England Patriots history with 541 regular-season passing TDs for the franchise.

Who is second in Patriots career passing TDs?

Steve Grogan is second in Patriots career passing touchdowns with 182 passing TDs.

Who is third in New England Patriots career passing TDs?

Drew Bledsoe is third with 166 passing touchdowns for the Patriots.

Why are Drake Maye and Mac Jones both ranked No. 7?

Drake Maye and Mac Jones are tied with 46 passing touchdowns. Because they share the same total, both are listed at No. 7, and the next player is ranked No. 9.

Are playoff passing touchdowns included in this Patriots ranking?

No. This ranking uses regular-season passing touchdowns with the Patriots only. Playoff touchdowns, preseason touchdowns and touchdowns thrown for other NFL teams are not included.

Do Tom Brady’s Buccaneers passing touchdowns count here?

No. Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers passing touchdowns do not count in this Patriots-only ranking. This list only includes touchdowns he threw for New England.

Conclusion: Tom Brady Leads the Patriots Passing TDs List

Tom Brady leads the New England Patriots career passing touchdowns list by a huge margin, and that record captures the scale of his two-decade run in Foxborough. His 541 passing TDs are the top number in franchise history and one of the strongest parts of his Patriots legacy.

Behind Brady, the list shows the full quarterback story of the franchise. Steve Grogan, Drew Bledsoe and Babe Parilli carried major eras before the dynasty. Jim Plunkett and Tony Eason remain top-six names. Drake Maye and Mac Jones show the more recent post-Brady chapter.

For now, Brady’s record is safe. The more realistic movement will happen lower on the list, especially if Drake Maye continues to grow as New England’s starting quarterback.

More Patriots and NFL Rankings

For more New England football history, check out our best New England Patriots players of all-time ranking, our Patriots all-time passing yards leaders, and our best New England Patriots quarterbacks of all-time.

You can also read our Patriots stat leaderboards for the Patriots all-time rushing yards leaders, Patriots all-time rushing touchdown leaders, Patriots all-time receiving yards leaders, Patriots all-time receiving touchdown leaders, Patriots all-time interceptions leaders, and Patriots all-time sacks leaders.

For the bigger NFL quarterback debate, visit our best quarterbacks of all-time ranking, most passing yards in NFL history list, and most passing touchdowns in NFL history leaderboard.

For the rest of the AFC East, check out our best Buffalo Bills players of all-time, best New York Jets players of all-time, and best Miami Dolphins players of all-time rankings.

For every franchise, visit our all-time player rankings for every NFL franchise, or keep browsing the main NFL rankings page. For more daily football graphics and debates, follow SOG Football on Instagram.