Use this free NFL Passer Rating Calculator to calculate a quarterback's traditional NFL passer rating from completions, passing attempts, passing yards, touchdown passes, and interceptions.
Enter the quarterback's passing statistics below and the calculator will show the passer rating, completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown percentage, interception percentage, and the four components used in the traditional NFL passer rating formula.
NFL Passer Rating Calculator
Enter a quarterback's passing statistics to calculate the traditional NFL passer rating.
Enter the quarterback's total passing statistics for the game, season, or period you want to analyze. Passing attempts must be greater than zero.
This calculator uses the traditional NFL passer rating formula. Results are provided for educational and informational purposes.
What Is NFL Passer Rating?
NFL passer rating is a traditional statistic designed to measure certain aspects of a quarterback's passing performance. The formula combines completion percentage, passing yards per attempt, touchdown percentage, and interception percentage into a single rating.
The traditional NFL passer rating scale ranges from 0.0 to 158.3. A higher rating generally indicates stronger passing efficiency according to the formula.
The statistic is useful because it combines multiple passing measurements into one number. However, passer rating does not measure every part of quarterback play, so it is often considered alongside other statistics.
How Is NFL Passer Rating Calculated?
The traditional NFL passer rating formula uses four separate components. These components are calculated from the quarterback's completions, attempts, passing yards, touchdown passes, and interceptions.
- Completion percentage component
- Yards per attempt component
- Touchdown percentage component
- Interception percentage component
Each component is limited to a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 2.375. The four limited components are then combined to calculate the final passer rating.
NFL Passer Rating Formula
The traditional formula uses four components commonly represented as A, B, C, and D.
Component A: Completion Percentage
Component B: Yards Per Attempt
Component C: Touchdown Percentage
Component D: Interception Percentage
After calculating the four components, each one is limited to a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 2.375.
Final NFL Passer Rating Formula
What Is a Perfect NFL Passer Rating?
A perfect traditional NFL passer rating is 158.3.
The maximum exists because each of the four components in the formula is capped at 2.375. Once all four components reach their maximum value, the final passer rating reaches 158.3.
A quarterback can produce statistics beyond the thresholds needed for a perfect rating, but the formula's component limits prevent the final traditional passer rating from exceeding 158.3.
What Statistics Do You Need to Calculate Passer Rating?
You need five passing statistics to calculate traditional NFL passer rating:
- Completions
- Passing attempts
- Passing yards
- Touchdown passes
- Interceptions
The calculator uses these five statistics to calculate the four components of the formula and then combines them into the final passer rating.
NFL Passer Rating Example
Suppose a quarterback records the following passing statistics:
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Completions | 25 |
| Passing Attempts | 35 |
| Passing Yards | 280 |
| Touchdown Passes | 2 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
The calculator first determines the completion percentage and yards per attempt. It then calculates the touchdown percentage and interception percentage.
Next, the calculator applies the traditional passer rating formula to determine the four components. Each component is limited to the allowed range before the final rating is calculated.
How to Use This NFL Passer Rating Calculator
- Enter the total number of completed passes.
- Enter the total number of passing attempts.
- Enter the quarterback's passing yards.
- Enter the number of touchdown passes.
- Enter the number of interceptions.
- Select Calculate Passer Rating.
- Review the final rating and supporting passing statistics.
What Does NFL Passer Rating Measure?
Traditional NFL passer rating measures four areas of passing efficiency.
| Measurement | What It Represents |
|---|---|
| Completion Percentage | How often the quarterback completed a pass. |
| Yards Per Attempt | The average number of passing yards gained per attempt. |
| Touchdown Percentage | The percentage of passing attempts that resulted in touchdowns. |
| Interception Percentage | The percentage of passing attempts that resulted in interceptions. |
What Does NFL Passer Rating Not Measure?
Passer rating is useful, but it does not measure every aspect of quarterback performance.
For example, traditional passer rating does not directly include:
- Rushing yards
- Rushing touchdowns
- Sacks
- Fumbles
- Opponent strength
- Dropped passes
- Game situation
- Difficulty of individual throws
- Defensive pressure
Because of these limitations, passer rating is generally more useful when viewed together with other quarterback statistics.
Passer Rating vs. Completion Percentage
Completion percentage and passer rating are related, but they are not the same statistic.
Completion percentage measures how often a quarterback completed a pass. Passer rating includes completion percentage as one part of a larger formula.
| Statistic | Description |
|---|---|
| Completion Percentage | Measures the percentage of passes completed. |
| Yards Per Attempt | Measures average passing yards gained per attempt. |
| NFL Passer Rating | Combines four passing-efficiency components into one rating. |
How to Interpret NFL Passer Rating
A higher passer rating generally represents better passing efficiency according to the traditional formula. However, there is no single rating that guarantees a quarterback played better in every situation.
| Passer Rating | General Interpretation |
|---|---|
| 100 or higher | Strong passing efficiency |
| 90 to 99.9 | Very good passing efficiency |
| 80 to 89.9 | Solid passing efficiency |
| 70 to 79.9 | Moderate passing efficiency |
| Below 70 | Lower passing efficiency according to the traditional formula |
These ranges are general descriptions rather than official NFL performance classifications.
Why Is NFL Passer Rating Capped at 158.3?
The traditional NFL passer rating formula limits each of its four components to a maximum value of 2.375.
When all four components reach that maximum, the formula produces a final rating of 158.3. This is why traditional NFL passer rating cannot exceed that number.
Can You Calculate Passer Rating for One Game?
Yes. You can calculate passer rating for a single game by entering the quarterback's statistics from that game.
The same formula can also be used for a season or another group of games as long as you use the total completions, attempts, passing yards, touchdown passes, and interceptions for the period you want to analyze.
Can Passer Rating Be 0?
Yes. The traditional formula has a minimum possible rating of 0.0.
The formula limits each component to a minimum of zero. In an extremely poor passing-statistics scenario, all four components can reach their minimum value, producing a passer rating of 0.0.
Related NFL Statistics
Passer rating is only one way to evaluate a quarterback's passing performance. Other useful statistics can include:
- Completion percentage
- Passing yards
- Passing yards per attempt
- Touchdown passes
- Interceptions
- Touchdown-to-interception ratio
- Quarterback rating
- Net yards per passing attempt
Looking at multiple statistics can provide a broader view of a quarterback's performance than relying on a single number.
NFL Passer Rating Calculator FAQs
What is the highest possible NFL passer rating?
The highest possible traditional NFL passer rating is 158.3.
How is NFL passer rating calculated?
The traditional formula uses completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown percentage, and interception percentage.
What statistics are needed to calculate passer rating?
You need completions, passing attempts, passing yards, touchdown passes, and interceptions.
What is a perfect passer rating?
A perfect traditional NFL passer rating is 158.3.
Can NFL passer rating be higher than 158.3?
No. The traditional NFL passer rating formula has a maximum possible rating of 158.3.
Is passer rating the same as completion percentage?
No. Completion percentage measures completed passes, while passer rating also includes yards per attempt, touchdown percentage, and interception percentage.
Does passer rating include rushing statistics?
No. Traditional NFL passer rating is based on passing statistics and does not include rushing yards or rushing touchdowns.
Can I calculate passer rating for a single game?
Yes. Enter the quarterback's passing statistics from a single game to calculate the traditional passer rating for that performance.
NFL Passer Rating Calculator: The Bottom Line
The traditional NFL passer rating formula combines completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown percentage, and interception percentage into a single number.
Use this calculator to quickly check a quarterback's passer rating for a game, season, or any group of passing statistics. For a broader view of performance, compare the result with other passing and quarterback statistics.