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

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[upper-alpha 1]	GP	Team	Refs
1934	Arnie Herber†	45.1*	11	Green Bay Packers	[9][10]
1935	No player met the minimum threshold[upper-alpha 1]				[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

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[upper-alpha 2]	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

Count	Player	Seasons	Team(s)	Refs
6	Len Dawson	1962, 1964–1968	Dallas Texans (1) / Kansas City Chiefs (5)	[9][70]
	Steve Young	1991–1994, 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	2004–2006	Indianapolis Colts	[9][54]

See also

• List of NFL career passer rating leaders
• List of NFL annual passing touchdowns leaders
• List of NFL annual passing yards leaders
• List of NFL annual pass completion percentage leaders

Notes

1. 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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