{"id":368654,"date":"2025-12-25T20:33:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-25T20:33:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/368654\/"},"modified":"2025-12-25T20:33:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-25T20:33:13","slug":"the-cfls-top-20-all-time-passing-yardage-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/368654\/","title":{"rendered":"The CFL’s top 20 all-time passing yardage leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Photo courtesy: Dave Chidley\/CFL.ca<\/p>\n

The CFL has always been a passing league, allowing top quarterbacks to earn elite status as legends of the game.<\/p>\n

Below are the top 20 CFL passing yardage leaders of all time. This list not only includes the CFL\u2019s all-time passing leaders, three of whom remain active players, but also three of pro football\u2019s all-time leading passers.<\/p>\n

Please note that the asterisk (*) denotes active players.<\/p>\n

20) Tom Burgess \u2014 30,308 yards<\/p>\n

The two-time Grey Cup champion and one-time Grey Cup MVP begins this list at No. 20. The native of Newark, N.J. played 10 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.<\/p>\n

19) Sam Etcheverry \u2014 30,381 yards<\/p>\n

Despite playing in a run-oriented era, Etcheverry\u2019s name remains littered throughout the CFL\u2019s 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\u2019s No. 92 following his playing career.<\/p>\n

18) Darian Durant \u2014 31,740 yards<\/p>\n

One of the greatest passers in Roughriders\u2019 history remains comfortably in the top 20 after retiring in 2018. 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).<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo courtesy: Jeff Vinnick\/B.C. Lions<\/p>\n

17) Michael Reilly \u2014 34,805 yards<\/p>\n

The Kennewick, Wash., 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.<\/p>\n

16) Dieter Brock \u2014 34,830 yards<\/p>\n

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, and also received All-CFL honours in those years. The product of Jacksonville State University led the CFL in passing yards four times.<\/p>\n

15) Zach Collaros \u2014 35,983 yards*<\/p>\n

After finishing seventh in the CFL in passing yards this past season with 3,048, Collaros moved up two spots on this list. The current Blue Bombers\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

14) Kent Austin \u2014 36,030 yards<\/p>\n

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 four consecutive 400-yard passing games.<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: Reuben Polansky\/3DownNation. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

13) Trevor Harris \u2014 37,697 yards*<\/p>\n

The native of Waldo, Ohio had arguably his best season as a passer in 2025, throwing for 4,549 yards to move up three spots. 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). Harris took home the Grey Cup MVP in November after setting a new record for highest completion percentage in a CFL championship game (85.2)<\/p>\n

12) Tom Clements \u2014 39,041 yards<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

11) Tracy Ham \u2014 40,534 yards<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

10) Doug Flutie \u2014 41,355 yards<\/p>\n

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\u2019s a reason why he\u2019s generally considered the best player in league history.<\/p>\n

9) Matt Dunigan \u2014 43,857 yards<\/p>\n

The former 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym\/RFB Sport Photography.<\/p>\n

8) Bo Levi Mitchell \u2014 44,319 yards*<\/p>\n

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 5,296 yards in 2025, leading the league in passing. Mitchell\u2019s latest season propelled him further up this list, and the 35-year-old could realistically climb into the top five before his career is through.<\/p>\n

7) Ron Lancaster \u2014 50,535 yards<\/p>\n

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 the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

6) Kevin Glenn \u2014 52,867 yards<\/p>\n

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\u2019s nominee for M.O.P. before suffering a fractured arm in the playoffs.<\/p>\n

5) Danny McManus \u2014 53,255 yards<\/p>\n

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\u2019s MVP. The native of Dania Beach, Fla. was named the CFL\u2019s M.O.P. in 1999 and remains the all-time passing leader for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.<\/p>\n

4) Ricky Ray \u2014 60,736 yards<\/p>\n

Ray\u2019s name is littered across the CFL\u2019s record book, including the 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo courtesy: RFB Sport Photography\/CFLAA<\/p>\n

3) Henry Burris \u2014 63,639 yards<\/p>\n

The two-time CFL M.O.P., two-time Grey Cup MVP, and two-time league all-star\u2019s 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 ninth in passing yards in all of pro football history.<\/p>\n

2) Damon Allen \u2014 72,381 yards<\/p>\n

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 as well. 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 the top player on this list.<\/p>\n

1) Anthony Calvillo \u2014 79,816 yards<\/p>\n

Calvillo played 20 seasons in the CFL and pretty much owned the league during the 2000s. He earned 10 All-East Division selections, five All-CFL nods, and appeared in eight Grey Cup games, winning three. The native of Los Angeles, Calif. was named the CFL\u2019s M.O.P. three times, and the Alouettes retired his No. 13 following his career. Calvillo has been on Montreal\u2019s coaching staff since 2022, helping the team win the Grey Cup in 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Photo courtesy: Dave Chidley\/CFL.ca The CFL has always been a passing league, allowing top quarterbacks to earn elite…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":368655,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-368654","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cfl","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-canadian-football-league","11":"tag-canadianfootballleague","12":"tag-cfl","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=368654"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368654\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/368655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=368654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=368654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=368654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}