Updated 15 Nov 2026.
NFL passer rating is built from 4 parts and tops out at 158.3. The formula step by step, Joe Burrow's 114.8 worked through, and the 2026 QBR leaders.
How is NFL passer rating calculated?
NFL passer rating is calculated from 4 rates per pass attempt: completion rate, yards per attempt, touchdown rate and interception rate. Each part is scored from 0 to 2.375, the 4 scores are added, divided by 6 and multiplied by 100, so the scale runs from 0 to 158.3.
The formula has been the same since 1973, and it only uses the 5 numbers in a box score: completions, attempts, yards, touchdowns and interceptions. Our NFL QB rankings work it out from each quarterback's season totals, which is why the figures below match that page to the decimal.
| Part | What it measures | Formula | Scores 0 at | Hits the 2.375 cap at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Completion rate | (completions / attempts - 0.3) x 5 | 30% completed | 77.5% completed |
| 2 | Yards per attempt | (yards / attempts - 3) x 0.25 | 3 yards per attempt | 12.5 yards per attempt |
| 3 | Touchdown rate | (touchdowns / attempts) x 20 | 0 touchdowns | 11.875% of attempts |
| 4 | Interception rate | 2.375 - (interceptions / attempts x 25) | 9.5% of attempts | 0 interceptions |
Any part below 0 counts as 0 and any part above 2.375 counts as 2.375. That cap is why 1 great game can reach the maximum but a season almost never does: none of the 31 qualified quarterbacks in 2026 hits the cap or the floor in any of the 4 parts.
What does the formula look like with real 2026 numbers?
Joe Burrow's 114.8 passer rating, the best in the NFL in 2026, comes from 219 completions on 296 attempts for 2,386 yards, 23 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 8 games. His 4 part scores add up to 6.886, and 6.886 divided by 6, times 100, is 114.8.
| Part | His rate | Sum | Score (of 2.375) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completion rate | 219 / 296 = 74.0% | (0.740 - 0.3) x 5 | 2.199 |
| Yards per attempt | 2,386 / 296 = 8.06 | (8.06 - 3) x 0.25 | 1.265 |
| Touchdown rate | 23 / 296 = 7.77% | 0.0777 x 20 | 1.554 |
| Interception rate | 6 / 296 = 2.03% | 2.375 - (0.0203 x 25) | 1.868 |
| Total | 6.886 / 6 x 100 | 114.8 |
Burrow's 74.0% completion rate is the best of the 31 qualified passers, and it earns his biggest part score. His touchdown rate is 2nd to Trevor Lawrence (8.04%), and his 23 touchdown passes lead the NFL passing touchdown leaders. Every part of the sum is on his Joe Burrow stats page.
What is a perfect passer rating?
A perfect NFL passer rating is 158.3, reached when all 4 parts hit the 2.375 cap: at least 77.5% completed, 12.5 yards per attempt, a touchdown on 11.875% of attempts and 0 interceptions. Over a 30-attempt game that means 24 completions, 375 yards and 4 touchdowns.
A perfect game is rare and a perfect season does not happen: the best 2026 season, Burrow's, is 43.5 points short. The lowest possible rating is 0, which needs every part at the floor. Among the 31 qualifiers the range is 45.9 points, from Burrow's 114.8 to the 68.9 of Daniel Jones of the Colts.
Who leads the NFL in passer rating in 2026?
Joe Burrow leads the NFL in passer rating in 2026 at 114.8, ahead of Trevor Lawrence at 111.7 and Brock Purdy at 109.8. 7 of the 31 qualified quarterbacks are at 100 or more, and the 31 combined rate 92.0.
| Rank | Quarterback | Team | Cmp-Att | Yards | TD-INT | Passer rating | QBR (rank) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Burrow | Bengals | 219-296 | 2,386 | 23-6 | 114.8 | 79.5 (2nd) |
| 2 | Trevor Lawrence | Jaguars | 146-224 | 1,932 | 18-4 | 111.7 | 67.0 (9th) |
| 3 | Brock Purdy | 49ers | 163-236 | 1,980 | 17-5 | 109.8 | 81.4 (1st) |
| 4 | Jared Goff | Lions | 185-273 | 2,134 | 15-2 | 106.4 | 58.5 (17th) |
| 5 | C.J. Stroud | Texans | 181-282 | 2,251 | 16-2 | 104.8 | 73.3 (6th) |
| 6 | Patrick Mahomes | Chiefs | 177-263 | 2,037 | 14-4 | 101.8 | 60.9 (13th) |
| 7 | Geno Smith | Jets | 183-271 | 2,078 | 12-3 | 100.5 | 54.9 (19th) |
| 8 | Josh Allen | Bills | 156-236 | 2,027 | 12-6 | 99.3 | 76.0 (4th) |
| 9 | Jordan Love | Packers | 215-341 | 2,618 | 19-6 | 97.9 | 70.3 (8th) |
| 10 | Jayden Daniels | Commanders | 138-213 | 1,499 | 10-2 | 97.1 | 61.3 (12th) |
Jordan Love leads the NFL passing yards leaders with 2,618 but is 9th on passer rating, because rating reads rates, not totals: his 341 attempts are the 2nd most of the 31. The full list of 31, sortable on every column, is on the QB rankings page.
What is QBR, and how is it different from passer rating?
QBR, ESPN's Total Quarterback Rating, is a 0-to-100 grade where 50 is an average quarterback, built from every play a passer is involved in. Passer rating reads 4 box-score rates on throws alone; QBR also counts runs, sacks, fumbles and penalties, and weighs each play by down, distance and score.
| Question | Passer rating | QBR |
|---|---|---|
| Scale | 0 to 158.3 | 0 to 100, 50 = average |
| Inputs | 5 box-score numbers | Every play: passes, runs, sacks, fumbles, penalties |
| Context | None: a 3rd-and-20 checkdown counts like a 3rd-and-2 conversion | Weighs each play by down, distance, field position and score |
| Can you work it out yourself? | Yes, from 4 sums | No, it needs play-by-play data |
| 2026 leader (31 qualified) | Joe Burrow, 114.8 | Brock Purdy, 81.4 |
| Qualifiers at the "good" mark | 7 at 100 or more | 20 at 50 or more |
Because QBR weighs context, a quarterback who completes short throws on long downs scores lower on QBR than on passer rating, and 1 who keeps drives alive on 3rd down scores higher. Burrow and Purdy are the only 2 quarterbacks in the top 3 on both lists.
Which quarterbacks rank very differently on QBR and passer rating?
Jared Goff ranks 4th in passer rating but 17th in QBR in 2026, the widest gap among the top 10 by rating. Dak Prescott goes the other way: 14th in passer rating at 95.3, but 3rd in QBR at 76.9, behind only Purdy and Burrow.
| Quarterback | Passer rating (rank) | QBR (rank) | Gap in places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jared Goff | 106.4 (4th) | 58.5 (17th) | 13 |
| Geno Smith | 100.5 (7th) | 54.9 (19th) | 12 |
| Deshaun Watson | 91.2 (16th) | 40.9 (28th) | 12 |
| Dak Prescott | 95.3 (14th) | 76.9 (3rd) | 11 |
Goff's rating leans on 2 interceptions in 273 attempts, the 2nd-lowest interception rate of the 31 at 0.73%, which is 1 of the 4 parts of passer rating but a small piece of QBR. Drake Maye shows the reverse: his 11 interceptions tie for the most of the 31, holding him to 12th in rating, but he is 5th in QBR at 74.3. Compare any 2 of them on the player comparison tool.
What is a good passer rating in the NFL?
A good NFL passer rating in 2026 is 100 or more, reached by 7 of 31 qualified quarterbacks; the middle quarterback, 16th of 31, rates 91.2. 8 qualifiers are below 80, and the 31 together complete 64.1% for 7.15 yards per attempt.
| Rate | 31 qualifiers combined | 2026 leader | Needed for the 2.375 cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completion rate | 64.1% | Joe Burrow, 74.0% | 77.5% |
| Yards per attempt | 7.15 | Trevor Lawrence, 8.62 | 12.5 |
| Touchdown rate | 4.74% | Trevor Lawrence, 8.04% | 11.875% |
| Interception rate | 2.19% | C.J. Stroud, 0.71% | 0% |
| Passer rating | 92.0 | Joe Burrow, 114.8 | 158.3 |
To qualify, a quarterback needs 14 pass attempts per game his team has played, the NFL's own bar, which is why Jalen Hurts counts at 154 attempts in 5 games. Search game-by-game passing lines on the stat finder, or see who starts for each team on its quarterback page, for example the Bengals quarterbacks.
Who leads the NFL in completion percentage in 2026?
Joe Burrow leads the NFL in completion percentage in 2026 at 74.0%, 219 of 296. Brock Purdy (69.1%), Caleb Williams (68.7%), Jared Goff (67.8%) and Geno Smith (67.5%) complete the top 5 of 31 qualified passers.
Completion rate is not the part that separates quarterbacks most: among the 31, the touchdown part runs from 0.397 to 1.607, against 1.390 to 2.199 for completion rate. Williams shows it: 3rd in completion rate, but 8 touchdowns in 195 attempts put him 13th in rating at 95.4. The quarterback race for the season's awards is in our MVP race numbers, and the QB rankings list every rate beside the rating.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate passer rating?
You calculate passer rating in 4 steps: score completion rate, yards per attempt, touchdown rate and interception rate, each from 0 to 2.375, add the 4 scores, divide by 6 and multiply by 100. Joe Burrow's 4 scores in 2026 add to 6.886, a 114.8 rating.
What is the highest possible passer rating?
The highest possible passer rating is 158.3, reached when all 4 parts hit their 2.375 cap. Over 30 attempts that needs 24 completions, 375 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The best 2026 season, Joe Burrow's 114.8, is 43.5 points below it.
Is QBR or passer rating better?
QBR uses more of the 2026 picture than passer rating, because it grades every play, runs and sacks included, on a 0-to-100 scale weighted by the game situation. Passer rating has 1 advantage: anyone can work it out from 5 box-score numbers. Brock Purdy leads 2026 on QBR at 81.4; Burrow leads on rating.
What is an average passer rating in the NFL?
An average NFL passer rating in 2026 is about 92: the 31 qualified quarterbacks combined rate 92.0, and the middle quarterback, 16th of 31, rates 91.2. A rating of 100 or more is top-7 level this season, and 8 qualifiers are below 80.
Who has the best QBR in 2026?
Brock Purdy of the 49ers has the best QBR of the 31 qualified quarterbacks in 2026, at 81.4. Joe Burrow (79.5), Dak Prescott (76.9), Josh Allen (76.0) and Drake Maye (74.3) make up the top 5; 20 of the 31 are at 50 or more.