Passer Rating Calculator (NFL)

NFL passer rating (also called quarterback rating or QB rating) is a standardized statistic used to measure a quarterback's overall passing performance in a single game or across a season. It was adopted by the NFL in 1973 and combines four passing categories — completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown rate, and interception rate — into a single number on a scale from 0 to 158.3.

The formula computes four components: a = ((completions/attempts) − 0.3) × 5, b = ((yards/attempts) − 3) × 0.25, c = (touchdowns/attempts) × 20, and d = 2.375 − (interceptions/attempts × 25). Each component is clamped between 0 and 2.375. The final rating is ((a + b + c + d) / 6) × 100.

The maximum possible NFL passer rating is 158.3. To achieve it, a quarterback must complete at least 77.5% of passes, average at least 12.5 yards per attempt, throw a touchdown on at least 11.875% of attempts, and throw zero interceptions. All four components must hit their ceiling value of 2.375.

A rating above 100 is considered excellent and typical of Pro Bowl-caliber performance. Ratings between 80 and 99 are considered average to above-average for a starting NFL quarterback. Ratings below 70 are poor, and anything below 60 is considered very bad. The all-time career leader, Aaron Rodgers, holds a career passer rating above 103.

The minimum possible passer rating is 0.0. This would require a quarterback to complete zero passes, gain zero or negative yards, throw no touchdowns, and have an interception rate of at least 9.5% or higher — essentially a catastrophically poor performance.

The 158.3 ceiling is a mathematical result of the formula rather than an arbitrary design choice. Each of the four components is capped at 2.375, so the maximum sum is 9.5. Dividing by 6 and multiplying by 100 gives exactly 158.333..., which is rounded to 158.3.

Passer rating doesn't account for sacks, dropped passes, throwaways, spikes, penalties, or the quality of receivers and offensive line. It also doesn't measure rushing ability. More modern metrics like ESPN's QBR (Total Quarterback Rating) attempt to address these limitations with more comprehensive situational analysis.

No. College football (NCAA) uses a different, simpler formula with a theoretical maximum of around 1261.6. The NFL formula described here — with its four clamped components — is specific to the NFL and CFL. This calculator uses the official NFL/CFL formula.