How Many Quarterbacks Have Thrown for 5,000 Yards or More in a Single Season?

Five different NFL quarterbacks have thrown for 5,000-yards or more in a single-season.

The 5,000-yard mark has been hit by five different quarterbacks for a combined nine times in a single season. The last time the benchmark was surpassed was in 2016 by Saints' QB Drew Brees, who has singlehandedly accomplished the feat an astounding five times (2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016).

Dolphins Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino was the first signal caller to surpass 5,000 yards when he threw for 5,084 yards in 1984. Marino set the new single-season record just five years after long-time Chargers QB Dan Fouts became the first to reach 4,000 yards in a season.

Marino's record stood for 27 years before it was broken by Brees in 2011, who threw for 5,476 yards for New Orleans. That same season, Patriots' QB Tom Brady tallied a career-high 5,235 yards. Peyton Manning broke Brees' record in 2013 when he threw for 5,477 yards for the Broncos and took the mark by just one yard. Manning's record still sits atop the list.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is the only other QB to have hit 5,000-yards or more in a season.

Here is the list of all quarterbacks to hit 5,000-yards: 

1. Peyton Manning: 5,477 in 2013

2. Drew Brees: 5,476 in 2011

3. Tom Brady: 5,235 in 2011

4. Drew Brees: 5,208 in 2016

5. Drew Brees: 5,177 in 2012

6. Drew Brees: 5, 162 in 2013

7. Dan Marino: 5,084 in 1984

8. Drew Brees: 5,069 in 2008

9. Matthew Stafford: 5,038 in 2011

Steelers' veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is on track to break 5,000-yards in 2018, came just 48 yards shy in 2014 when he passed for a career-high 4,952 yards. Drew Brees was also 48 yards short and missed making yet another appearance on the 5K club list in that same season. 

The Falcons' Matt Ryan, Giants' Eli Manning, former Redskins QB Kirk Courins (now with the Vikings) and former Cowboys QB Tony Romo have all come within 100 yards of 5,000 but failed to crack the barrier.