Tom Brady’s single-game high for passing yards is 517. He reached that mark in the New England Patriots’ 38–24 victory over the Miami Dolphins in the opening week of the 2011 season.
Brady completed 31 passes in the game and threw for four touchdowns along with one interception. His performance helped New England overcome Miami in a high-scoring contest and earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. One of his touchdown passes was a record-tying 99-yard connection with Wes Welker.
The 517-yard total is a regular-season single-game mark for Brady. It is easy to confuse it with other major numbers from his career, including his 5,235 passing yards during the 2011 regular season, his career-best season total at the time. The 2011 opener was especially notable because the record-setting game came in the same season in which Brady became only the fourth quarterback to pass for more than 5,000 yards.
Brady’s record came in a losing season opener for Miami, but the Dolphins still scored 24 points. The game remains one of the clearest examples of Brady’s ability to produce explosive passing numbers deep into his career.