22 Longest Nfl Touchdowns of All Time

Football is often called a game of inches, but because inches are no fun, we will be looking at yards; and a lot of them.

Explosive, long-yardage plays are the most fun plays in football. There is nothing like watching a running back break free of tackle attempts on his way to a race to the end zone, or a kickoff returner maneuvering around the kicking team to bolt in for a touchdown.

Some records can be broken, but many of these records can only be tied. Here are the longest NFL touchdowns in league history.

Longest Passing Touchdown (99 Yards) – 13x

Frank Filchock to Andy Farkas, 1939

George Izo to Bobby Mitchell, 1963

Karl Sweetan to Pat Studstill, 1966

Sonny Jurgensen to Jerry Allen, 1968

Jim Plunkett to Cliff Branch, 1983

Ron Jaworski to Mike Quick, 1985

Stan Humphries to Tony Martin, 1994

Brett Favre to Robert Brooks, 1995

Trent Green to Marc Boerigter, 2002

Jeff Garcia to Andre Davis, 2004

Gus Frerotte to Bernard Berrian 2008

Tom Brady to Wes Welker, 2011

Eli Manning to Victor Cruz, 2011

Recent 99-yard touchdown passes

The easiest way to score a long touchdown is via the pass, yet a touchdown pass going the length of the field is still very rare and has only happened 13 times. The play is so rare because, firstly, you have to find yourself backed up to the one-yard line, and secondly, teams are often hesitant to pass the ball in that situation due to the high likelihood of a safety or pick-six.

The most recent 99-yard passing touchdown was in 2011. 2011 was a legendary season for the New York Giants, so it makes sense that they had a legendary play such as this one. On Christmas Eve, Eli Manning was backed up on the one-yard line against the New York Jets. The color commentator famously pointed out that the Giants just needed to gain some positive yards so they could snap the ball for a punt from a manageable distance. But the Giants did much more than that as Manning threw a 10-yard out route to Victor Cruz. The receiver split two defenders and then won a foot race to the end zone. The play is often credited with sparking the Giants to a Super Bowl run.

Tom Brady and Wes Welker also connected on a 99-yard pass in 2011. The duo made the play in week one. Coincidentally, these two teams, which were the last to have a 99-yard touchdown pass, also met in the Super Bowl of that year. Manning threw his only touchdown pass of the Super Bowl to Victor Cruz as the Giants won 21-17.

Famous 99-yard touchdown passes

The Washington Commanders are the only franchise to accomplish the feat multiple times, having thrown three 99-yarders in history, including the first one ever in 1939.

Mike Quick is not only a very fitting name for a guy who scored a 99-yarder, but he was also the recipient of perhaps the most iconic 99-yard touchdown pass. In 1985, Quick and the Eagles were pinned down on the one-yard line in overtime against the Atlanta Falcons. The Eagles had already given up a sizeable lead when Ron Jaworski threw the pass to Quick at the 20-yard line. Quick outran the Falcons and won in walk-off fashion.

Longest Rushing Touchdown (99 Yards) – 2x

Tony Dorsett, 1982: During a Monday night game in the last week of 1982, the Dallas Cowboys were already guaranteed a playoff spot. That didn't stop the team from opening up a massive hole for Tony Dorsett to run through. The running back evaded some arm tackles and used blazing speed to run all the way to the opposite 20-yard line. There he had only one man to beat, and he used a stiff arm to shed the final Viking defender.

Derrick Henry, 2018: Derrick Henry is known for being impossible to tackle and having a deadly stiff arm. Those traits were on full display when he ran the length of the field in 2018. After breaking free of the line of scrimmage, three Jacksonville Jaguars had a chance to tackle Henry, and Henry used his incredible strength to stiff arm them all out of the way