List of NFL career passer rating leaders explained

The NFL rates its passers for statistical purposes against a fixed performance standard based on statistical achievements of all qualified pro passers since 1960. The current passer rating system, which was adopted in 1973, removes inequities that existed in the former method and, at the same time, provides a means of comparing passing performances from one season to the next.According to the 2017 NFL Record & Fact Book, the system is used to rate passers, not quarterbacks. Statistics do not reflect leadership, play-calling, and other intangible factors that go into making a successful professional quarterback.[1]

Four categories are used as a basis for compiling a rating:

The average standard is 1.000. The bottom is .000. To earn a 2.000 rating, a passer must perform at exceptional levels, i.e., 70 percent in completions, 10 percent in touchdowns, 1.5 percent ininterceptions, and 11 yards average gain per pass attempt. In order to make the rating more understandable, the point rating is then converted into a scale of 100, with 158.3 being thehighest rating a passer can achieve. In cases where statistical performance has been superior, it is possible for a passer to surpass a 100 rating.
Quarterbacks are required to throw at least 1,500 passes before their ratings qualify for NFL career statistics for the regular season, and 150 attempts for the postseason.

Regular season

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^ Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
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  • Active player

Quarterbacks must have at least 1,500 career attempts to qualify for this list.[2]
Updated through December 1, 2024.[3]

RankQuarterbackRating
1style=background:#cfecec;" 102.7
2style=background:#cfecec;" 102.3
3style=background:#cfecec;" 100.8
4style=background:#cfecec;" 100.3
5style=background:#cfecec;" 100.1
6style=background:#cfecec;" 98.8
7Drew Brees98.7
8style=background:#cfecec;" 98.6
9style=background:#cfecec;" 98.1
10style=background:#cfecec;" 97.6
style=background:#cfecec;"
12Tom Brady97.2
13Tony Romo97.1
14style=background:#ffb;"^ Steve Young96.8
15style=background:#ffb;"^ Peyton Manning96.5
16style=background:#cfecec;" 96.0
17Philip Rivers95.2
18style=background:#cfecec;" 94.7
19style=background:#ffb;"^ Kurt Warner93.7
20Matt Ryan93.6
21Ben Roethlisberger93.5
22style=background:#cfecec;" 93.1
23style=background:#cfecec;" 92.9
24style=background:#cfecec;" 92.8
25style=background:#cfecec;" 92.5
26style=background:#ffb;"^ Joe Montana92.3
27Ryan Tannehill91.2
style=background:#cfecec;"
29Teddy Bridgewater90.5
30Chad Pennington90.1
31style=background:#cfecec;" 89.8
32style=background:#cfecec;" 89.6
3389.5
Matt Schaub
RankQuarterbackRating
35style=background:#cfecec;" 89.4
36Colin Kaepernick88.9
37style=background:#cfecec;" 88.5
style=background:#cfecec;"
39Carson Palmer87.9
40Daunte Culpepper87.8
41Jeff Garcia87.5
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43style=background:#cfecec;"
  • Jameis Winston
87.1
44style=background:#cfecec;" 87.0
4586.9
46style=background:#ffb;"^ Otto Graham86.6
47style=background:#ffb;"^ Dan Marino86.4
48Nick Foles86.2
49style=background:#ffb;"^ Brett Favre86.0
Trent Green
51David Garrard85.8
52Donovan McNabb85.6
53style=background:#cfecec;" 85.5
54Jay Cutler85.3
55Cam Newton85.2
56style=background:#cfecec;" 85.0
57Rich Gannon84.7
58style=background:#cfecec;" 84.6
59Sam Bradford84.5
60style=background:#cfecec;" 84.4
Marc Bulger
style=background:#cfecec;"
style=background:#ffb;"^ Jim Kelly
64style=background:#cfecec;" 84.3
65Eli Manning84.1
66Mark Brunell84.0
67style=background:#ffb;"^ Roger Staubach83.4
RankQuarterbackRating
68Steve McNair82.8
69Brian Griese82.7
Neil Lomax
71style=background:#ffb;"^ Len Dawson82.6
style=background:#ffb;"^ Sonny Jurgensen
73Brad Johnson82.5
74Matt Hasselbeck82.4
75Ryan Fitzpatrick82.3
style=background:#cfecec;"
77Brian Hoyer82.0
78Ken Anderson81.9
79Bernie Kosar81.8
Neil O'Donnell
81Jason Campbell81.7
Danny White
83style=background:#ffb;"^ Troy Aikman81.6
84Randall Cunningham81.5
86Jake Delhomme81.3
87Kyle Orton81.2
88Boomer Esiason81.1
89style=background:#ffb;"^ Warren Moon80.9
90Blake Bortles80.6
91style=background:#ffb;"^ Bart Starr80.5
Jeff Hostetler
93Jeff George80.4
Ken O'Brien
style=background:#ffb;"^ Fran Tarkenton
Michael Vick
97Steve Beuerlein80.3
98style=background:#ffb;"^ Dan Fouts80.2
99style=background:#ffb;"^ John Elway79.9
100Tony Eason79.7
Josh McCown

Postseason

Quarterbacks must have at least 150 career postseason attempts to qualify for this list.

Updated through 2023 season[4]

RankQuarterbackRating
1style=background:#cfecec;" 105.8
2style=background:#ffb;"^ Bart Starr104.8
3style=background:#ffb;"^ Kurt Warner102.8
4style=background:#cfecec;" 101.7
5Matt Ryan100.8
6style=background:#cfecec;" 100.1
7style=background:#cfecec;" 100.0
8Nick Foles98.8
9Alex Smith97.4
1097.1
11style=background:#cfecec;" 96.2
12style=background:#ffb;"^ Joe Montana95.6
13style=background:#cfecec;" 95.3
14Mark Sanchez94.3
15style=background:#cfecec;"
  • Joe Burrow
93.8
16style=background:#cfecec;"
  • Kirk Cousins
93.7
17Ken Anderson93.5
18Tony Romo93.0
19style=background:#cfecec;" 91.8
20Joe Theismann91.4
21Tom Brady89.8
22style=background:#cfecec;" 88.4
23style=background:#ffb;"^ Troy Aikman88.3
24style=background:#cfecec 88.1
25style=background:#cfecec 87.9
26Cam Newton87.7
27style=background:#ffb;"^ Peyton Manning87.4
Eli Manning
RankQuarterbackRating
29Colin Kaepernick87.3
30Ben Roethlisberger86.7
31style=background:#ffb;"^ Brett Favre86.3
32style=background:#ffb;"^ Steve Young85.8
33Philip Rivers85.3
34style=background:#ffb;"^ Warren Moon84.9
35Rich Gannon84.6
36Matt Hasselbeck84.2
style=background:#ffb;"^ Ken Stabler
38Bernie Kosar83.5
39Jake Delhomme83.3
40style=background:#ffb;"^ Terry Bradshaw83.0
41Jim Plunkett81.9
42Vinny Testaverde81.0
43Donovan McNabb80.0
44style=background:#ffb;"^ John Elway79.7
45Daryle Lamonica77.9
46style=background:#ffb;"^ Len Dawson77.4
47Chad Pennington77.3
48style=background:#ffb;"^ Dan Marino77.1
49Phil Simms77.0
50Jim McMahon76.1
51style=background:#ffb;"^ Roger Staubach76.0
52style=background:#cfecec;" 75.7
53Wade Wilson75.6
54Kerry Collins75.3
55Neil O'Donnell74.9
56Randall Cunningham74.3
RankQuarterbackRating
57Jeff Garcia73.8
58Andrew Luck73.4
59Jake Plummer72.7
60Dave Krieg72.3
style=background:#ffb;"^ Jim Kelly
62Mark Rypien72.2
63Danny White71.6
64style=background:#ffb;"^ Dan Fouts70.0
65style=background:#ffb;"^ Johnny Unitas68.9
66Billy Kilmer68.6
67style=background:#ffb;"^ Bob Griese68.3
68Jim Harbaugh67.2
69Steve McNair66.7
70Mark Brunell66.3
71style=background:#ffb;"^ Otto Graham63.7
72Ron Jaworski63.4
73Brad Johnson62.8
74Vince Ferragamo59.9
75style=background:#ffb;"^ Fran Tarkenton58.6
76style=background:#cfecec;" 57.8
77Jim Everett57.0
78Drew Bledsoe54.9
79Stan Humphries54.8
80Doug Williams53.6
81Jay Schroeder50.4
82Jack Kemp50.2
83style=background:#ffb;"^ George Blanda42.4
84Craig Morton42.0

See also

References

General

Citations

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Official 2017 National Football League Record & Fact Book . September 9, 2017 . NFL . 311 . September 22, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170922053850/http://operations.nfl.com/media/2696/2017-record-and-fact-book.pdf . live .
  2. Web site: Minimum Requirements For Football Leaderboards . November 27, 2020 . pro-football-reference.com . February 14, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200214235559/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/about/minimums.htm . live .
  3. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_rating_career.htm NFL Career Passing Rating Leaders
  4. Web site: NFL Passer Rating Career Playoffs Leaders . November 5, 2022 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en . July 4, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190704005702/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_rating_career_playoffs.htm . live .

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