NFL Passer Rating Calculator

Where Passer Rating Comes From

The NFL adopted passer rating in 1973 to replace a patchwork of ways of ranking quarterbacks, and it is still the league's official passing statistic. It blends four things into one number: how often passes are completed, how many yards each attempt gains, how often attempts become touchdowns, and how often they become interceptions. The weights were set from league-wide passing data of the era so that an average passer would land somewhere near 66.7, and every part is capped, which is why a perfect game tops out at 158.3 rather than climbing forever. College football uses a different, uncapped formula called passing efficiency, which is why a college QB can post numbers above 200.

Step by Step: Entering a Stat Line

Take the numbers from a box score or season table: attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdown passes, and interceptions. Yards can be negative for a short game gone badly; everything else must be zero or more. Completions can't exceed attempts, touchdown passes can't exceed completions, and interceptions can't exceed the incomplete attempts. Choose the NFL formula for pro stats (the CFL uses the same one) or the NCAA option for college stats, then calculate. The breakdown shows each capped component so you can see which part of a performance is carrying or dragging the rating.

The Formula, Component by Component

With ATT attempts, the four NFL parts are: a = (completions ÷ ATT − 0.3) × 5; b = (yards ÷ ATT − 3) × 0.25; c = (touchdowns ÷ ATT) × 20; d = 2.375 − (interceptions ÷ ATT × 25). Each is clamped between 0 and 2.375, and the rating is (a + b + c + d) ÷ 6 × 100. The 2.375 ceiling means a 77.5% completion rate, 12.5 yards per attempt, touchdowns on 11.875% of throws, and zero interceptions each max out their part; going beyond any of those earns nothing more. The NCAA version has no caps: (8.4 × yards + 330 × TD + 100 × completions − 200 × INT) ÷ ATT.

A Real Example: Aaron Rodgers, 2011

Rodgers set the single-season record with 343 completions on 502 attempts for 4,643 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. The parts: a = (0.6833 − 0.3) × 5 = 1.9163; b = (9.249 − 3) × 0.25 = 1.5622; c = 0.0896 × 20 = 1.7928; d = 2.375 − 0.2988 = 2.0762. Their sum is 7.3476, and 7.3476 ÷ 6 × 100 = 122.5 — exactly the figure in the NFL record book. Run the same line through the college formula and you get (39,001.2 + 14,850 + 34,300 − 1,200) ÷ 502 = 173.2.

Edge Cases to Watch For

The caps make the scale behave oddly at the extremes. A quarterback who goes 1-for-1 for 99 yards and a touchdown gets the same 158.3 as one who goes 20-for-25 for 400 yards, four scores, and no picks — small samples swing wildly, which is why leaderboards require a minimum number of attempts. The floor works the same way: going 0-for-10 with one interception scores exactly 0.0, and so does 0-for-10 with five — the extra picks can't push the number any lower. Oddly, 0-for-10 with no interceptions still earns 39.6, because the interception part alone is worth that much. Sacks, rushing, fumbles, and game situation aren't part of the formula at all, so passer rating measures passing efficiency on attempts, not a quarterback's total value. NCAA efficiency can even go negative on a very poor day, since nothing clamps it.