NFL Passer Rating Calculator
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Calculate NFL passer rating (QB rating) instantly from attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdowns and interceptions. See the full formula breakdown and the NCAA passer rating.
Passer rating is four capped components in one number
Passer rating, often called QB rating, is a single number that grades a quarterback on four things: completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown percentage and interception percentage. The NFL has used it since 1973 and it is still the number shown on every broadcast graphic.
The scale runs from 0 to 158.3. That ceiling is not arbitrary. Each of the four components is capped at 2.375 points, so the best possible total is 2.375 x 4, divided by 6, multiplied by 100.
How passer rating is calculated
The NFL formula works in four parts, and each part is clamped between 0 and 2.375 so a spectacular category cannot rescue a terrible one:
- Completion percentage: ((Comp / Att x 100) - 30) / 20
- Yards per attempt: ((Yards / Att) - 3) / 4
- Touchdown percentage: (TD / Att x 100) / 5
- Interception percentage: 2.375 - ((INT / Att x 100) / 4)
Add the four results, divide by 6 and multiply by 100. That is the rating you see on screen.
College football uses a different scale. The NCAA formula is 8.4 x yards per attempt + 330 x touchdowns per attempt - 200 x interceptions per attempt + 100 x completions per attempt, which is why college ratings run far higher than NFL ones.
The four components, and how each one is capped
Every version of passer rating is built the same way: turn each category into a rate, scale that rate onto a common range, clamp it, and average the results. The NFL formula uses four categories, and the clamp is what keeps a spectacular day in one category from hiding a collapse in another.
| Component | Formula | Clamped to |
|---|---|---|
| Completion percentage | (Comp/Att − 0.30) × 5 | 0 to 2.375 |
| Yards per attempt | (Yds/Att − 3) × 0.25 | 0 to 2.375 |
| Touchdown rate | (TD/Att) × 20 | 0 to 2.375 |
| Interception rate | 2.375 − (Int/Att) × 25 | 0 to 2.375 |
The fourth row is the one that behaves differently: it starts at the maximum and subtracts, so a clean game earns the full 2.375 and every interception takes a bite out of it. That is why interceptions hurt a rating far more than the raw count suggests — they cost a possession and they pull down a component that would otherwise be maxed out.
Add the four numbers, divide by six, multiply by 100, and you have the rating. Two worked examples show how differently the parts behave. A line of 24 of 35 for 310 yards with three touchdowns and one interception works out to 68.6 percent completions, 8.86 yards per attempt, an 8.6 percent touchdown rate and a 2.9 percent interception rate — components of 1.929, 1.464, 1.714 and 1.661, for a rating of 112.8. A rougher afternoon, 15 of 30 for 140 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions, scores 23.6, because two of its four components are pinned at zero and cannot recover.
Those four raw numbers — attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns and interceptions — are also the only things the rating knows about. It does not see sacks, dropped passes, rushing, or the score. If you are translating the same box score into fantasy points instead, the fantasy points calculator uses a scoring system where passing yards and touchdowns are worth whatever your league says they are. And if you want a second example of a rate stat assembled from a formula rather than a count, earned run average is the same idea with a different set of caps.
Entering the box score
- Choose NFL rating or NCAA rating at the top.
- Enter attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdowns and interceptions for a game or a whole season.
- Read the rating, the grade, and the component-by-component breakdown underneath.
What counts as a good passer rating?
In the modern NFL the league average sits around 90, so 100 or above is an excellent season and 90 to 99 is above average starter play. A rating in the 80s is a solid, dependable starter, the 70s is below average, and anything under 70 is a problem. The single-season record is 122.5, set by Aaron Rodgers in 2011.
Two caveats are worth remembering. Passer rating ignores sacks, rushing and dropped passes, and it treats a dink-and-dunk game more kindly than yards per attempt suggests, which is exactly why EPA and QBR were invented. It is still the fastest way to compare two stat lines.
Reading a rating in context
- Interceptions hurt twice: they cost a possession and they drag the fourth component down from 2.375.
- A very high completion percentage with a low yards-per-attempt can still produce a mediocre rating.
- Never compare an NFL rating with an NCAA rating. The formulas and the scales are different.
FAQ
What is a perfect passer rating?
158.3. It happens when a quarterback maxes out all four components, which needs at least a 77.5 percent completion rate, 12.5 yards per attempt, an 11.9 percent touchdown rate and no interceptions.
How do I calculate passer rating by hand?
Cap each of the four components at 2.375, add them, divide by 6, then multiply by 100. For example 24 of 35 for 310 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception gives 68.6 percent completions, 8.86 yards per attempt, 8.6 percent touchdowns and 2.9 percent interceptions, which works out to a rating of 112.8.
Is passer rating the same as QBR?
No. Passer rating is a pure passing stat built from four box-score numbers. ESPN QBR is a 0 to 100 scale that also weighs sacks, rushing, opponent strength and game situation.
Related guide: PPR vs Standard Fantasy Football Scoring Explained — passer rating measures a quarterback; fantasy scoring measures what he is worth to your team, and the two do not always agree. To score an actual stat line instead, use the fantasy football points calculator.