What Is the NFL Passer Rating?
The passer rating (also called QB rating) is the formula the National Football League (United States) uses to measure a quarterback's passing efficiency in a single game or across a season. It combines four statistics — completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown percentage and interception percentage — into a single number ranging from 0 to a maximum of 158.3 (the "perfect" rating). This calculator uses the official NFL formula; the NCAA college formula is different.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter the quarterback's pass attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdown passes and interceptions. The tool computes the four capped components, sums them, divides by 6 and multiplies by 100 to produce the rating. It also shows the underlying completion %, yards per attempt, TD % and INT % so you can see what's driving the score.
The Formula Explained
Each component is calculated then clamped between 0 and 2.375:
$$a = \left(\tfrac{\text{COMP}}{\text{ATT}} \times 100 - 30\right) \times 0.05$$ $$b = \left(\tfrac{\text{YDS}}{\text{ATT}} - 3\right) \times 0.25$$ $$c = \left(\tfrac{\text{TD}}{\text{ATT}} \times 100\right) \times 0.2$$ $$d = 2.375 - \left(\tfrac{\text{INT}}{\text{ATT}} \times 100 \times 0.25\right)$$$$\text{Rating} = \frac{a + b + c + d}{6} \times 100$$ The clamping ensures no single category can dominate or fall below zero, which is why the maximum is exactly 158.3.
Worked Example
A QB goes 20-of-30 for 250 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. Completion % = 66.67, so \(a = (66.67-30)\times 0.05 = 1.8333\). Yards/att = 8.333, so \(b = (8.333-3)\times 0.25 = 1.3333\). TD % = 6.667, so \(c = 6.667\times 0.2 = 1.3333\). INT % = 3.333, so \(d = 2.375 - 3.333\times 0.25 = 1.5417\). $$\text{Rating} = \frac{1.8333+1.3333+1.3333+1.5417}{6}\times 100 \approx \mathbf{100.7}$$
FAQ
What is a perfect passer rating? 158.3 — achieved when all four components hit their cap of 2.375.
What is a good passer rating? Anything above ~100 is excellent for a game; league-average season ratings sit around 90.
Is this the same as ESPN's QBR? No. QBR is a separate proprietary metric; this tool computes the traditional NFL passer rating.
