Which quarterbacks throw for the most yards on play-action?
Matthew Stafford leads all NFL quarterbacks with 1,735 passing yards on play-action passes, on 142 completions and 19 passing touchdowns across 17 games.
NFL Quarterback Passing Yards on Play-Action
Ranked by YDS · 2025 regular season| # | Player | YDS | ATT | CMP | CMP% | TD | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Stafford Los Angeles Rams · #9 | 1,735 | 204 | 142 | 69.6% | 19 | 17 |
| 2 | Caleb Williams Chicago Bears · #18 | 1,406 | 175 | 109 | 62.3% | 7 | 17 |
| 3 | Jared Goff Detroit Lions · #16 | 1,388 | 147 | 102 | 69.4% | 8 | 17 |
| 4 | Sam Darnold Seattle Seahawks · #14 | 1,360 | 121 | 82 | 67.8% | 12 | 17 |
| 5 | Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys · #4 | 1,304 | 157 | 115 | 73.3% | 13 | 17 |
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Open this in the Stat Explorer →Why this matters
A run fake sells before the quarterback ever looks to throw, and that flicker of hesitation from a linebacker or safety is where this number lives. Play-action buys a cleaner window than a base dropback usually allows, which is why yardage on these calls tends to run ahead of a quarterback's normal average.
How often a play-caller dials up the concept matters as much as how well a quarterback sells it. An offense built around heavy run fakes and defined shot plays will produce a bigger total than an offense that treats play-action as an occasional wrinkle, so this number is describing a scheme's design as much as it is describing arm talent.
Read this alongside how often the offense actually calls a run fake rather than in isolation. A quarterback can lead here simply by playing in a system that leans on the concept often, while a quarterback in a more balanced offense might be just as effective on a much smaller share of his snaps.