List of NFL annual passer rating leaders

In American football, passer rating is a measure of the performance of passers, primarily quarterbacks.[2] Passer rating is calculated using a player's passing attempts, completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, and interceptions. Passer rating in the National Football League (NFL) is measured on a scale from 0 to 158.3, with a higher passer rating reflecting a stronger overall performance.[2] Passer rating is sometimes colloquially referred to as “quarterback rating” or “QB rating”, however the statistic applies only to passing (not to other contributions by a quarterback) and applies to any player at any position who throws a forward pass, not just to quarterbacks.

Aaron Rodgers holds the single-season passer rating record, achieving a rating of 122.5 in 2011.[1]

The NFL did not begin keeping official records until the 1932 season.[3] In addition to the overall NFL passer rating leaders, league record books recognize the passer rating leaders of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970.[4]

The single-season passer rating record is held by Aaron Rodgers who had a rating of 122.5 in 2011 with the Green Bay Packers.[1] Steve Young has led the NFL in passer rating a record six different times while Len Dawson achieved the same feat in the AFL.[5]

NFL annual passer rating leaders

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Bart Starr led the league in passer rating four times during the 1960s.
 
Roger Staubach led the NFL in passer rating four times in his 11 year career.
 
Steve Young led the league in passer rating a record six times and is the only player to do so in four consecutive seasons.[6]
 
Peyton Manning led the league for three consecutive seasons during the 2000s.[7]
 
Tom Brady has led the league in passer rating twice.
Key
Symbol Meaning
Leader The player who recorded the highest passer rating in the NFL
Rate The passer rating of the player
GP The number of games played by a player during the season
Pro Football Hall of Fame member
^ The player is an active player
* Player set the single-season passer rating record
(#) Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list
NFL annual passer rating leaders by season
Season Player Rate[A] GP Team Refs
1934 Arnie Herber 45.1* 11 Green Bay Packers [9][10]
1935 No player met the minimum threshold[A] [11]
1936 Arnie Herber† (2) 58.9* 12 Green Bay Packers [9][10]
1937 Ed Danowski 72.8* 11 New York Giants [9][12]
1938 Ed Danowski (2) 66.9 11 New York Giants [9][12]
1939 Arnie Herber† (3) 61.6 10 Green Bay Packers [9][10]
1940 Sammy Baugh 85.6* 11 Washington Redskins [9][13]
1941 Sid Luckman 95.3* 11 Washington Redskins [9][14]
1942 Cecil Isbell 87.0 11 Green Bay Packers [9][15]
1943 Sid Luckman† (2) 107.5* 10 Chicago Bears [9][14]
1944 Frank Filchock 86.0 10 Washington Redskins [9][16]
1945 Sammy Baugh† (2) 109.9* 10 Washington Redskins [9][13]
1946 Sid Luckman† (3) 71.0 11 Chicago Bears [9][14]
1947 Sammy Baugh† (3) 92.0 12 Washington Redskins [9][13]
1948 Tommy Thompson 98.4 12 Philadelphia Eagles [9][17]
1949 Tommy Thompson (2) 84.4 12 Philadelphia Eagles [9][17]
1950 Norm Van Brocklin 85.1 12 Los Angeles Rams [9][18]
1951 Bob Waterfield 81.8 11 Los Angeles Rams [9][19]
1952 Tobin Rote 85.6 12 Green Bay Packers [9][20]
1953 Otto Graham 99.7 12 Cleveland Browns [9][21]
1954 Adrian Burk 80.4 12 Philadelphia Eagles [9][22]
1955 Otto Graham† (2) 94.0 12 Cleveland Browns [9][21]
1956 Ed Brown 83.1 12 Chicago Bears [9][23]
1957 Tommy O'Connell 93.3 11 Cleveland Browns [9][24]
1958 Johnny Unitas 90.0 10 Baltimore Colts [9][25]
1959 Charlie Conerly 102.7 10 New York Giants [9][26]
1960 Milt Plum 110.4* 12 Cleveland Browns [9][27]
1961 Bill Wade 93.7 13 Chicago Bears [9][28]
1962 Eddie LeBaron 95.4 14 Dallas Cowboys [9][29]
1963 Y. A. Tittle 104.8 13 New York Giants [9][30]
1964 Bart Starr 97.1 14 Green Bay Packers [9][31]
1965 Johnny Unitas† (2) 97.4 11 Baltimore Colts [9][25]
1966 Bart Starr† (2) 105.0 14 Green Bay Packers [9][31]
1967 Sonny Jurgensen 87.3 14 Washington Redskins [9][32]
1968 Bart Starr† (3) 104.3 12 Green Bay Packers [9][31]
1969 Bart Starr† (4) 89.9 12 Green Bay Packers [9][31]
1970 John Brodie 93.8 14 San Francisco 49ers [9][33]
1971 Roger Staubach 104.8 13 Dallas Cowboys [9][34]
1972 Earl Morrall 91.0 14 Miami Dolphins [9][35]
1973 Roger Staubach† (2) 94.6 14 Dallas Cowboys [9][34]
1974 Ken Anderson 95.7 13 Cincinnati Bengals [9][36]
1975 Ken Anderson (2) 93.9 14 Cincinnati Bengals [9][36]
1976 Ken Stabler 103.4 12 Oakland Raiders [9][37]
1977 Bob Griese 87.8 14 Miami Dolphins [9][38]
1978 Roger Staubach† (3) 84.9 15 Dallas Cowboys [9][34]
1979 Roger Staubach† (4) 92.3 16 Dallas Cowboys [9][34]
1980 Brian Sipe 91.4 16 Cleveland Browns [9][39]
1981 Ken Anderson (3) 98.4 16 Cincinnati Bengals [9][36]
1982 Ken Anderson (4) 95.3 9 Cincinnati Bengals [9][36]
1983 Steve Bartkowski 97.6 14 Atlanta Falcons [9][40]
1984 Dan Marino 108.9 16 Miami Dolphins [9][41]
1985 Ken O'Brien 96.2 16 New York Jets [9][42]
1986 Tommy Kramer 92.6 13 Minnesota Vikings [9][43]
1987 Joe Montana 102.1 13 San Francisco 49ers [9][44]
1988 Boomer Esiason 97.4 16 Cincinnati Bengals [9][45]
1989 Joe Montana† (2) 112.4* 13 San Francisco 49ers [9][44]
1990 Jim Kelly 101.2 14 Buffalo Bills [9][46]
1991 Steve Young 101.8 11 San Francisco 49ers [9][47]
1992 Steve Young† (2) 107.0 16 San Francisco 49ers [9][47]
1993 Steve Young† (3) 101.5 16 San Francisco 49ers [9][47]
1994 Steve Young† (4) 112.8* 16 San Francisco 49ers [9][47]
1995 Jim Harbaugh 100.7 15 Indianapolis Colts [9][48]
1996 Steve Young† (5) 97.2 12 San Francisco 49ers [9][47]
1997 Steve Young† (6) 104.7 15 San Francisco 49ers [9][47]
1998 Randall Cunningham 106.0 15 Minnesota Vikings [9][49]
1999 Kurt Warner 109.2 16 St. Louis Rams [9][50]
2000 Brian Griese 102.9 10 Denver Broncos [9][51]
2001 Kurt Warner† (2) 101.4 16 St. Louis Rams [9][50]
2002 Chad Pennington 104.2 15 New York Jets [9][52]
2003 Steve McNair 100.4 14 Tennessee Titans [9][53]
2004 Peyton Manning 121.1* 16 Indianapolis Colts [9][54]
2005 Peyton Manning† (2) 104.1 16 Indianapolis Colts [9][54]
2006 Peyton Manning† (3) 101.0 16 Indianapolis Colts [9][54]
2007 Tom Brady 117.2 16 New England Patriots [9][55]
2008 Philip Rivers 105.5 16 San Diego Chargers [9][56]
2009 Drew Brees 109.6 15 New Orleans Saints [9][57]
2010 Tom Brady (2) 111.0 16 New England Patriots [9][55]
2011 Aaron Rodgers^ 122.5* 15 Green Bay Packers [9][58]
2012 Aaron Rodgers^ (2) 108.0 16 Green Bay Packers [9][58]
2013 Nick Foles 119.2 13 Philadelphia Eagles [9][59]
2014 Tony Romo 113.2 15 Dallas Cowboys [9][60]
2015 Russell Wilson^ 110.1 16 Seattle Seahawks [9][61]
2016 Matt Ryan 117.1 16 Atlanta Falcons [9][62]
2017 Alex Smith 104.7 15 Kansas City Chiefs [9][63]
2018 Drew Brees (2) 115.7 15 New Orleans Saints [9][57]
2019 Ryan Tannehill 117.5 12 Tennessee Titans [9][64]
2020 Aaron Rodgers^ (3) 121.5 16 Green Bay Packers [9][58]
2021 Aaron Rodgers^ (4) 111.9 16 Green Bay Packers [9][58]
2022 Tua Tagovailoa^ 105.5 13 Miami Dolphins [9][65]
2023 Brock Purdy^ 113.0 16 San Francisco 49ers [9][66]

AFL annual passer rating leaders

edit
 
Len Dawson led the AFL in passer rating a record six times.[67]
Key
Symbol Meaning
Leader The player who recorded the highest passer rating in the AFL
Rate The passer rating of the player
GP The number of games played by a player during the season
Pro Football Hall of Fame member
* Player set the single-season passer rating record
(#) Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list
AFL annual passer rating leaders by season
Season Player Rate[B] GP Team Refs
1960 Tom Flores 71.8* 14 Oakland Raiders [9][68]
1961 George Blanda 91.3* 14 Houston Oilers [9][69]
1962 Len Dawson 98.3* 14 Dallas Texans [9][70]
1963 Tobin Rote 86.7 14 San Diego Chargers [9][20]
1964 Len Dawson† (2) 89.9 14 Kansas City Chiefs [9][70]
1965 Len Dawson† (3) 81.3 14 Kansas City Chiefs [9][70]
1966 Len Dawson† (4) 101.7* 14 Kansas City Chiefs [9][70]
1967 Len Dawson† (5) 83.7 14 Kansas City Chiefs [9][70]
1968 Len Dawson† (6) 98.6 14 Kansas City Chiefs [9][70]
1969 Greg Cook 88.3 11 Cincinnati Bengals [9][71]

Most seasons leading the league

edit
Count Player Seasons Team(s) Refs
6 Len Dawson 1962, 19641968 Dallas Texans (1) / Kansas City Chiefs (5) [9][70]
Steve Young 19911994, 1996, 1997 San Francisco 49ers [9][47]
4 Ken Anderson 1974, 1975, 1981, 1982 Cincinnati Bengals [9][36]
Aaron Rodgers 2011, 2012, 2020, 2021 Green Bay Packers [9][58]
Bart Starr 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969 Green Bay Packers [9][31]
Roger Staubach 1973, 1973, 1978, 1979 Dallas Cowboys [9][34]
3 Sammy Baugh 1940, 1945, 1947 Washington Redskins [9][13]
Arnie Herber 1934, 1936, 1939 Green Bay Packers [9][10]
Sid Luckman 1941, 1943, 1946 Washington Redskins (1) / Chicago Bears (2) [9][14]
Peyton Manning 20042006 Indianapolis Colts [9][54]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b To qualify, a player must meet a minimum number of pass attempts per team game. 10 attempts per team game for seasons prior to 1975, 12 attempts per team game for the 1976 and 1977 seasons, and 14 attempts per team game from the 1978 season onwards.[8]
  2. ^ To qualify, a player must have made a minimum of 10 pass attempts per team game.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b "NFL Passer Rating Single-Season Leaders". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "NFL Quarterback Rating Formula". National Football League. Archived from the original on August 14, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  3. ^ "NFL's Passer Rating". Pro Football Hall of Fame. January 1, 2005. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  4. ^ "2022 NFL Fact and Record Book" (PDF). National Football League. 2022. p. 550. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 21, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  5. ^ "Mind-blowing stats for the San Francisco 49ers". National Football League. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  6. ^ Harrison, Elliot (July 2, 2019). "Top 25 quarterbacks of all time: Patriots' Tom Brady leads list". National Football League. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  7. ^ "Peyton Manning". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Minimum Requirements For Football Leaderboards". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de "NFL Passer Rating Year-by-Year Leaders". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
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  18. ^ "Norm Van Brocklin Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on June 11, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
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  20. ^ a b "Tobin Rote Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
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  22. ^ "Adrian Burk Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
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  27. ^ "Milt Plum Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  28. ^ "Billy Wade Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
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  32. ^ "Sonny Jurgensen Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  33. ^ "John Brodie Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  34. ^ a b c d e "Roger Staubach Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  35. ^ "Earl Morrall Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
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  38. ^ "Bob Griese Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  39. ^ "Brian Sipe Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
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  43. ^ "Tommy Kramer Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
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  46. ^ "Jim Kelly Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
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  48. ^ "Jim Harbaugh Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  49. ^ "Randall Cunningham Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on February 2, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  50. ^ a b "Kurt Warner Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
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  65. ^ "Tua Tagovailoa Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  66. ^ "Brock Purdy Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  67. ^ Johnston, Austin (June 26, 2020). "The Best Quarterbacking Performances in Chiefs History". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  68. ^ "Tom Flores Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  69. ^ "George Blanda Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
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  71. ^ "Greg Cook Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2023.