Aaron Rodgers’ Hail Mary: Who Holds the Record For the Most in NFL? When Did the First Hail Mary Occur?

Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock with yet another one of his signature Hail Mary throws on Monday. With just 8 seconds left in the second quarter, Rodgers launched a deep ball from his own 40-yard line. Despite five or six Bills defenders crowding the area, it was Allen Lazard who rose above them all, securing the catch before going down.

Initially, one official ruled it incomplete, but the sideline quickly signaled a touchdown, adding another successful Hail Mary to Rodgers’ impressive list of iconic moments.

ANOTHER AARON RODGERS HAIL MARY TD

UNREAL ‼️ pic.twitter.com/TmMpRyY9ZC

— ESPN (@espn) October 15, 2024

This marked the fourth successful Hail Mary pass of Rodgers‘ career, an NFL record. So far, quarterbacks have completed 36 Hail Mary passes in NFL history. Of those, the Jets QB has four.

Both Andy Dalton and Russell Wilson have completed two such passes. The former Bengals QB did it in 2013 and 2016, both against AFC North opponents. Russ did it in 2012 against the Packers and again in 2023 for the Broncos against the Commanders.

Twenty-eight other shot-callers have completed one Hail Mary each. However, the first QB to ever do it was Captain America himself, Roger Staubach. He did so in 1975 for the Cowboys against the Vikings in the NFC Divisional round, throwing a 50-yard pass to Hall of Fame receiver Drew Pearson.

Rodgers‘ Hail Mary throw set up an exciting second half for Monday Night Football, with the Jets trailing by only three points. However, the second half turned out to be a snooze fest and turned into a defensive showdown, as both teams combined for just six points over the next 30 minutes.

The Bills edged out their opponents by three points, winning 23-20 and improving to 4-2 on the season, keeping them atop the AFC East.

The Jets had a chance to tie or win the game with 3.5 minutes left in the fourth quarter, but Rodgers threw an interception, encapsulating their struggles this season.

Despite an impressive roster, the Jets have fallen short of expectations and now sit at 2-4. This marked their third straight loss of the season.