The CFL has always been a pass-through league, allowing the best quarterbacks to achieve elite status as legends of the game.
Below are the CFL's top 20 all-time passing yardage leaders. This list includes not only the best passers in the CFL, three of whom remain active players, but also three of the best passers of all time in professional football.
Please note that the asterisk
denotes active players.
20) Tom Burgess – 30,308 yards
The two-time Gray Cup champion and one-time Gray Cup MVP starts this list at No. 20. The Newark, New Jersey native played 10 seasons in the CFL from 1986 to 1995, playing twice each for the Ottawa Rough Riders and Saskatchewan Roughriders, as well as spending two years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
19) Sam Etcheverry – 30,381 yards
Despite playing in a run-oriented era, Echeverri's name still appears in the CFL record books. The one-time MOP still holds the record for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass (34), most consecutive games with 300 yards passing (nine) and the longest passing game ever, tied with Hal Patterson's 109-yard completion in 1956. The Montreal Alouettes retired Echeverry's No. 92 after his playing career.
18) Darian Durant – 31,740 yards
Photo courtesy: Jeff Winnick/BC Lions
17) Michael Reilly – 34,805 yards
The Kennewick, Wash. native played 10 years north of the border, including four of his two stints with BC and six straight with Edmonton. The one-time Gray Cup winner and Gray Cup MVP gave 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 Western Division All-Star also won his only MOP award that year.
16) Dieter Brock – 34,830 yards
The six-foot, 195-pound passer spent 11 seasons in the CFL, most of them in Winnipeg. The Birmingham, Alabama native is one of five players to win back-to-back MOP honors in 1980 and 1981, as well as earning All-CFL honors in those years. The Jacksonville State University product led the CFL in passing yards four times.
15) Zach Collaros – 35,983 yards*
After finishing seventh in the CFL in passing yards last season with 3,048, Collaros moved up two spots on that list. The current Blue Bombers mainstay also spent time with the Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Roughriders en route to winning three Gray Cups, two CFL MOP awards and one Gray Cup MVP award.
14) Kent Austin – 36,030 yards
Photo: Ruben Polanski/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
13) Trevor Harris – 37,697 yards*
The Waldo, Ohio native had arguably his best season as a passer in 2025, throwing for 4,549 yards and moving up three spots. The two-time divisional All-Star played over 12 years for five teams in the CFL and holds the record 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). In November, Harris became the Gray Cup MVP, setting a new record for the highest completion percentage of a CFL championship game (85.2).
12) Tom Clements – 39,041 yards
The seven-time CFL All-Star played 12 seasons with Ottawa, Hamilton, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg and collected a ton of hardware during his career. The McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania native won Most Outstanding Rookie, two Gray Cups, two Gray Cup MVPs and an MOP in 1987 while playing for the Blue Bombers. He has since enjoyed a 25-year coaching career in the NFL.
11) Tracy Ham – 40,534 yards
The Gainesville, Florida native remains one of the best dual-threat players the CFL has ever seen. Ham has the second-most career rushing yards by a quarterback (8,043) and the most rushing yards in a single season (1,096), which he recorded in 1990 while playing for Edmonton. The Georgia Southern University product also won two Gray Cups, one Gray Cup MVP and one CFL MOP award, which he received in 1989.
10) Doug Flutie – 41,355 yards
Simply put, Doug Flutie owned the CFL in the 1990s. The Manchester, Maryland native has won six CFL MOP awards, three Gray Cups, three Gray Cup MVPs and still has four of the top 10 single-season passing records in league history, including the best mark (6,619) he set with BC in 1991. Flutie also has the most consecutive 400-yard passing yards with five and the most passing yards in a single season with 48. There's a reason why he's generally considered the best player in league history.
9) Matt Dunigan – 43,857 yards
Photo courtesy: Bob Butrim/RFB Sport Photography.
8) Bo Levi Mitchell – 44,319 yards*
The last remaining active player on this list, Mitchell is having a phenomenal statistical year for the Tiger-Cats. The two-time CFL MOP champion and two-time Gray Cup champion threw for 5,296 yards in 2025, leading the league in passing yards. Mitchell's final season moved him further up this list, and the 35-year-old could easily crack the top five before his career ends.
7) Ron Lancaster – 50,535 yards
Lancaster played in the CFL for nearly two decades, defending the Roughriders from 1963 to 1978. The two-time CC still holds the record for most playoff games started in CFL history with 35 games and has led the league in passing yards five times. Lancaster, who won two Gray 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.
6) Kevin Glenn – 52,867 yards
The only CFL player to ever be a member of all nine teams, he achieved great results during an 18-year career that included several stints in Saskatchewan and Winnipeg. The Detroit, Michigan native had his best season in 2007, when he led the league in passing yards and was nominated for the East Division's MOP Award before suffering a broken arm in the playoffs.
5) Danny McManus – 53,255 yards
With a career spanning nearly two decades, McManus remains one of the most accomplished passers in Canadian football history. The Florida State product played in five Gray Cups, winning three of them, and was once named the game's MVP. The Dania Beach, Fla. native was named CFL Player of the Year in 1999 and remains the all-time leader of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
4) Ricky Ray – 60,736 yards
Photo credit: RFB Sport Photography/CFLAA
3) Henry Burris – 63,639 yards
Two-time CFL MOP, two-time Gray Cup MVP and two-time league All-Star. The CFL career spanned 20 years, including stints in Calgary, Saskatchewan, Hamilton and Ottawa. The Spiro, Okla., native played 20 years in the CFL and won three Gray Cups, including one in his final career game in 2016 with the Redblacks. Burris ranks ninth in passing yards in professional football history.
2) Damon Allen – 72,381 yards
After 23 seasons in the CFL, Allen remains one of the most recognizable names to ever play in the league. When the San Diego, California native retired in 2007, he was the all-time leader in passing yards not only in CFL history, but in professional football history. The four-time Gray Cup champion and one-time MOP now ranks fourth in pro football history behind Tom Brady (89,214), Drew Brees (80,358) and the top player on this list.
1) Anthony Calvillo – 79,816 yards
Calvillo spent 20 seasons in the CFL and practically owned the league in the 2000s. He earned 10 All-East Division selections, five All-CFL nominations and appeared in eight Gray Cup games, winning three. The Los Angeles, California native was named CFL MVP three times and the Alouettes retired his No. 13 following his career. Calvillo has been on Montreal's coaching staff since 2022, helping the team win the Gray Cup in 2023.
