The CFL’s 20 all-time passing yardage leaders

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The CFL has always been a passing league, allowing top quarterbacks to earn elite status as legends of the game.

Below are the top 20 CFL passing yardage leaders of all time. This list not only includes the CFL’s all-time passing leaders, three of which remain active players, but also three of pro football’s all-time leading passers.

Please note that the asterisk (*) denotes active players.

20) Tom Burgess — 30,308 yards

The two-time Grey Cup champion and one-time Grey Cup MVP begins this list at 20. The native of Newark, N.J. played ten seasons in the CFL from 1986 to 1995, having two different stints with both the Ottawa Rough Riders and Saskatchewan Roughriders, while also spending two years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

19) Sam Etcheverry — 30,381 yards

Despite playing in a run-oriented era, Etcheverry’s name remains littered throughout the CFL’s record book. The one-time M.O.P. still holds the records for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass (34), most consecutive 300-yard passing games (nine), and longest pass ever, connecting with Hal Patterson for a 109-yard completion in 1956. The Montreal Alouettes retired Etcheverry’s No. 92 following his playing career.

18) Darian Durant — 31,740 yards

One of the greatest passers in Roughriders’ history was surpassed by two active quarterbacks this past season, though he remains comfortably in the top 20. The two-time West Division all-star cemented his career with a Grey Cup win over the Tiger-Cats in 2013. The native of Florence, S.C. also holds the record for most consecutive pass attempts without an interception (323), nearly 100 more than second place (Ricky Ray).

17) Zach Collaros — 32,935 yards*

After finishing second in the CFL in passing yards this past season with 4,336, Collaros has officially made his debut on this list. The current Blue Bombers’ pivot has also spent time with the Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Roughriders on his way to winning three Grey Cups, two CFL M.O.P. awards, and one Grey Cup MVP award.

16) Trevor Harris — 33,148 yards*

The native of Waldo, Ohio holds a small margin over his former teammate, Collaros, despite being outgained by over 1,000 yards in 2024. The two-time divisional all-star has played for five teams over 12 years in the CFL and owns the records for most touchdown passes in a playoff game (six), most pass attempts in a playoff game (60), and the second-highest completion percentage in a game with at least 30 attempts (90.3).

Photo courtesy: Jeff Vinnick/B.C. Lions

15) Michael Reilly — 34,805 yards

The Kennewick, Wa. native played 10 years north of the border, including four over two stints with B.C. and six straight with Edmonton. The one-time Grey Cup winner and Grey Cup MVP put up most of his yards in Alberta, including the most passing yards in a single season in Edmonton Football Team history with 5,830 in 2017. The two-time West Division all-star also won his lone M.O.P. award that year.

14) Dieter Brock — 34,830 yards

The six-foot, 195-pound passer played 11 seasons in the CFL, the majority of which came in Winnipeg. The Birmingham, Ala. native is one of five players to win back-to-back M.O.P. awards, doing so in 1980 and 1981, also receiving all-CFL honours in those years. The product of Jacksonville State University led the CFL in passing yards four times.

13) Kent Austin — 36,030 yards

Austin spent a decade playing north of the border, including seven seasons with the Roughriders. The Natick, Mass. native holds multiple records, including most pass attempts in a single season (770) and in a single game (65). He also threw for the second-most yards ever in a season with 6,225 in 1992 and is one of only three players to have consecutive 400-yard passing games with four.

12) Bo Levi Mitchell — 39,023 yards*

The last remaining active player on this list, Mitchell is coming off a phenomenal statistical year with the Tiger-Cats. The two-time CFL M.O.P. and two-time Grey Cup champion threw for 5,451 yards in 2024, over 1,000 yards more than the next-place passer. Mitchell’s latest season propelled him further up this list and the 34-year-old could soon reach the top 10 with another strong season in 2025.

11) Tom Clements — 39,041 yards

The seven-time CFL all-star played 12 seasons with Ottawa, Hamilton, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg and claimed a ton of hardware over the course of his career. The native of McKees Rocks, Pa. won Most Outstanding Rookie, two Grey Cups, two Grey Cup MVPs, and an M.O.P. in 1987 while playing for the Blue Bombers. He has since enjoyed a 25-year career coaching in the NFL.

10) Tracy Ham — 40,534 yards

The native of Gainesville, Fla. remains one of the best dual-threat pivots the CFL has ever seen. Ham rushed for the second-most yardage by a quarterback in a career (8,043) and most in a single season (1,096), which he recorded in 1990 while playing for Edmonton. The product of Georgia Southern University also won two Grey Cups, one Grey Cup MVP, and one CFL M.O.P. award, which he captured in 1989.

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

9) Doug Flutie — 41,355 yards

Simply put, Doug Flutie owned the CFL during the 1990s. The native of Manchester, Md. won six CFL M.O.P. awards, three Grey Cups, three Grey Cups MVPs, and still has four of the top 10 single-season passing totals in league history, including the best one (6,619), which he set with B.C. in 1991. Flutie also has the most-ever consecutive 400-yard passing games with five and the most touchdown passes in a single season with 48. There’s a reason why he’s generally considered the best player in league history.

8) Matt Dunigan — 43,857 yards

The longtime TSN broadcaster began his playing days with the Edmonton Football Team before jumping around to the Lions, Argonauts, Blue Bombers, Tiger-Cats, and Birmingham Barracudas. Dunigan participated in five Grey Cups, winning two, and holds the all-time record for most passing yards in a single game (713), which he set with Winnipeg in 1994.

7) Ron Lancaster — 50,535 yards

Lancaster played for almost two decades in the CFL, quarterbacking the Roughriders from 1963 to 1978. The two-time M.O.P. still holds the record for most playoff games started in CFL history with 35 and led the league in passing yards five times. Lancaster, who won two Grey Cups as a head coach following his retirement, is a member of the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame and Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

6) Kevin Glenn — 52,867 yards

The only CFL player ever to be a member of all nine teams put up big numbers over his 18-year career, which included multiple stints in Saskatchewan and Winnipeg. The native of Detroit, Mich. enjoyed his best season in 2007 when he led the league in passing yards and was the East Division’s nominee for M.O.P. before suffering a fractured arm in the playoffs.

5) Danny McManus — 53,255 yards

With a career lasting nearly two decades, McManus remains one of the most accomplished passers in Canadian football history. The Florida State product played in five Grey Cups, winning three of them, and was once named the game’s MVP. The native of Dania Beach, Fla. was named the CFL’s M.O.P. in 1999 and remains the all-time passing leader for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Photo: AP/Troy Fleece

4) Ricky Ray — 60,736 yards

Ray’s name is littered across the CFL’s record book, including the second-highest career completion percentage (68.2), third-most 300-yard passing games (91), and second-most single-season completions (479). The Happy Camp, Calif. native was a finalist for M.O.P. three times and remains the only quarterback ever to start and win four Grey Cups, capturing two in Edmonton and two in Toronto.

3) Henry Burris — 63,639 yards

The two-time CFL M.O.P., two-time Grey Cup MVP, and two-time league all-star’s CFL career spanned 20 years, including stints in Calgary, Saskatchewan, Hamilton, and Ottawa. The native of Spiro, Okla. spent 20 years in the CFL and won three Grey Cups, including one in his final career game in 2016 with the Redblacks. Burris sits eighth in passing yards in all of pro football history.

2) Damon Allen — 72,381 yards

After playing 23 seasons in the CFL, Allen remains one of the most recognizable names ever to play in the league. When the native of San Diego, Calif. retired in 2007, he was the all-time passing yards leader in not just CFL history but pro football history. The four-time Grey Cup champion and one-time M.O.P. now sits fourth in pro football history behind Tom Brady (89,214), Drew Brees (80,358), and top on this list.

1) Anthony Calvillo — 79,816 yards

Calvillo played 20 seasons in the CFL and pretty much owned the league during the 2000s. He earned 10 East Division all-star selections, five CFL all-star nods, and appeared in eight Grey Cup games, winning three. The native of Los Angeles, Calif., was named the CFL’s M.O.P. three times and the Alouettes retired his No. 13 following his retirement. Calvillo has been on Montreal’s coaching staff since 2022, helping the team win the Grey Cup in 2023.

The post The CFL’s 20 all-time passing yardage leaders appeared first on 3DownNation.

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