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INDUNITAS19

Johnny Unitas

Retired

San Diego Chargers · QB

Johnny Unitas recorded 208 indexed regular-season NFL appearances across 18 rostered seasons with San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore Colts.

▶Best highlights

193.5

pass yds/gm

8.5

rush yds/gm

9

playoff games

208

career games

Five defining games

Start here

A researched consensus introduction to Johnny Unitas's defining games.

Editorial methodology and sources

Cross-checked Pro Football Hall of Fame: Johnny Unitas, postseason and milestone context, and verified Athlore box scores. This frozen editorial order balances the highest-leverage indexed appearances with statistical peaks that represent Johnny Unitas's career; no ranking formula runs in the application.

  1. #1. In the conference championship against New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts, Johnny Unitas recorded 264 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 6 rushing yards in the leading indexed performance of this editorial five. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Johnny Unitas
  2. #2. In the conference championship against Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants, Johnny Unitas recorded 349 passing yards, 1 passing touchdowns, 20 rushing yards in a performance that preserves an essential part of the career record. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Johnny Unitas
  3. #3. In the Divisional Round against Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts, Johnny Unitas recorded 145 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 18 rushing yards in a performance that preserves an essential part of the career record. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Johnny Unitas
  4. #4. Against Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts, Johnny Unitas recorded 324 passing yards, 4 passing touchdowns, 28 rushing yards in a performance that preserves an essential part of the career record. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Johnny Unitas
  5. #5. Against WSH and Indianapolis Colts, Johnny Unitas recorded 367 passing yards, 4 passing touchdowns, 22 rushing yards in a performance that preserves an essential part of the career record. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Johnny Unitas

Reviewed through 2026-08-11

Conference Championship
1959
NEW YORKGIANTS
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
DEC 27, 1959

New York Giants vs Indianapolis Colts

Conference Championship · Dec 27, 1959

264 pass yds · 2 pass TD · 0 INT

Conference Championship
1958
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
NEW YORKGIANTS
DEC 28, 1958

Indianapolis Colts vs New York Giants

Conference Championship · Dec 28, 1958

349 pass yds · 1 pass TD · 1 INT

Divisional Round
1970
CINCINNATIBENGALS
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
DEC 26, 1970

Cincinnati Bengals vs Indianapolis Colts

Divisional Round · Dec 26, 1970

145 pass yds · 2 pass TD · 0 INT

Regular Season
1960
GREEN BAYPACKERS
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
NOV 6, 1960

Green Bay Packers vs Indianapolis Colts

Regular Season · Nov 6, 1960

324 pass yds · 4 pass TD · 1 INT

Regular Season
1962
W
WSH
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
DEC 8, 1962

WSH vs Indianapolis Colts

Regular Season · Dec 8, 1962

367 pass yds · 4 pass TD · 1 INT

Single-game peaks

Career highs

Position-relevant single-game records from Johnny Unitas's indexed NFL box scores.

Career high: 401 passing yards

Regular Season
1967
ATLANTAFALCONS
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
SEP 17, 1967

Atlanta Falcons vs Indianapolis Colts

Regular Season · Sep 17, 1967

401 pass yds · 2 pass TD · 1 INT

Career high: 4 passing touchdowns

Regular Season
1967
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
ATLANTAFALCONS
NOV 12, 1967

Indianapolis Colts vs Atlanta Falcons

Regular Season · Nov 12, 1967

370 pass yds · 4 pass TD · 0 INT

Career high: 85 rushing yards

Regular Season
1960
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
GREEN BAYPACKERS
OCT 9, 1960

Indianapolis Colts vs Green Bay Packers

Regular Season · Oct 9, 1960

216 pass yds · 1 pass TD · 4 INT

Career chapters

Franchise eras

Follow the team eras that shaped Johnny Unitas's career, in chronological order.

Earliest → latest

Franchise era

1953–1962

01
INDUNITAS19Johnny Unitas
INDBERRY—Raymond Berry
INDMARCHETTI—Gino Marchetti

The modern passing quarterback takes shape

Indianapolis Colts · Unitas and the greatest game

Unitas's timing with Berry and a dominant defense won back-to-back championships, beginning with the 1958 overtime title game that helped popularize the NFL.

Read the era story →

Franchise era

1963–1971

02
INDUNITAS19Johnny Unitas
INDMACKEY—John Mackey
INDCURTIS—Mike Curtis

A powerhouse absorbs one loss and wins another way

Indianapolis Colts · From upset to Super Bowl V

Baltimore's 1968 juggernaut suffered the league's most famous upset, then a veteran defense responded by winning Super Bowl V two years later.

Read the era story →

Franchise era

1972–1983

03
INDUNITAS19Johnny Unitas
INDJONES—Bert Jones
INDMITCHELL—Lydell Mitchell

The Sack Pack briefly revives a fading home

Indianapolis Colts · Baltimore's final chapter

Jones's MVP-level peak produced three straight division titles before injuries, instability and stadium conflict preceded the move to Indianapolis.

Read the era story →

Franchise era

1970–1977

04
LACUNITAS19Johnny Unitas
LACFOUTS—Dan Fouts
LACGARRISON—Gary Garrison

Fouts arrives before the system does

Los Angeles Chargers · Searching after Gillman

San Diego struggled through transition but drafted the quarterback who would become the center of its next revolution.

Read the era story →

Career accomplishments

NFL passing yards leader · 1957, 1959, 1960, 1963NFL passing touchdowns leader · 1957, 1958, 195918 NFL seasons208 career games40,239 career passing yards290 career passing touchdowns1,777 career rushing yards13 career rushing touchdowns1 career receptions1 career receiving yardsJersey: 09 playoff appearances2 Super Bowl appearancesFirst appearance: Oct 6, 1956Most recent: Nov 4, 1973

Official awards via ESPN · Pro Bowl and All-Pro counts via NFLverse with selection years cross-checked against Wikipedia · league leads verified from indexed regular-season stats

Team history