# List of NFL annual passer rating leaders

In American football, passer rating is a measure of the performance of passers, primarily quarterbacks. Passer rating is calculated using a player's passing attempts, completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, and interceptions. Passer rating in the National Football League (NFL) is measured on a scale from 0 to 158.3, with a higher passer rating reflecting a stronger overall performance. Passer rating is sometimes colloquially referred to as “quarterback rating” or “QB rating”, however the statistic applies only to passing (not to other contributions by a quarterback) and applies to any player at any position who throws a forward pass, not just to quarterbacks.
The NFL did not begin keeping official records until the 1932 season. In addition to the overall NFL passer rating leaders, league record books recognize the passer rating leaders of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970.
The single-season passer rating record is held by Aaron Rodgers who had a rating of 122.5 in 2011 with the Green Bay Packers. Steve Young has led the NFL in passer rating a record six different times while Len Dawson achieved the same feat in the AFL.

## NFL annual passer rating leaders

Key :
| Symbol | Meaning |
| Leader | The player who recorded the highest passer rating in the NFL |
| Rate | The passer rating of the player |
| GP | The number of games played by a player during the season |
| † | Pro Football Hall of Fame member |
| ^ | The player is an active player |
| * | Player set the single-season passer rating record |
| (#) | Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list |
NFL annual passer rating leaders by season :
| Season | Player | Rate | GP | Team |
| 1934 | Arnie Herber† | 45.1* | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1935 | No player met the minimum threshold | No player met the minimum threshold | No player met the minimum threshold | No player met the minimum threshold |
| 1936 | Arnie Herber† (2) | 58.9* | 12 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1937 | Ed Danowski | 72.8* | 11 | New York Giants |
| 1938 | Ed Danowski (2) | 66.9 | 11 | New York Giants |
| 1939 | Arnie Herber† (3) | 61.6 | 10 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1940 | Sammy Baugh† | 85.6* | 11 | Washington Redskins |
| 1941 | Sid Luckman† | 95.3* | 11 | Chicago Bears |
| 1942 | Cecil Isbell | 87.0 | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1943 | Sid Luckman† (2) | 107.5* | 10 | Chicago Bears |
| 1944 | Frank Filchock | 86.0 | 10 | Washington Redskins |
| 1945 | Sammy Baugh† (2) | 109.9* | 10 | Washington Redskins |
| 1946 | Sid Luckman† (3) | 71.0 | 11 | Chicago Bears |
| 1947 | Sammy Baugh† (3) | 92.0 | 12 | Washington Redskins |
| 1948 | Tommy Thompson | 98.4 | 12 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1949 | Tommy Thompson (2) | 84.4 | 12 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1950 | Norm Van Brocklin† | 85.1 | 12 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1951 | Bob Waterfield† | 81.8 | 11 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1952 | Tobin Rote | 85.6 | 12 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1953 | Otto Graham† | 99.7 | 12 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1954 | Adrian Burk | 80.4 | 12 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1955 | Otto Graham† (2) | 94.0 | 12 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1956 | Ed Brown | 83.1 | 12 | Chicago Bears |
| 1957 | Tommy O'Connell | 93.3 | 11 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1958 | Johnny Unitas† | 90.0 | 10 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1959 | Charlie Conerly | 102.7 | 10 | New York Giants |
| 1960 | Milt Plum | 110.4* | 12 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1961 | Bill Wade | 93.7 | 13 | Chicago Bears |
| 1962 | Eddie LeBaron | 95.4 | 14 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1963 | Y. A. Tittle† | 104.8 | 13 | New York Giants |
| 1964 | Bart Starr† | 97.1 | 14 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1965 | Johnny Unitas† (2) | 97.4 | 11 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1966 | Bart Starr† (2) | 105.0 | 14 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1967 | Sonny Jurgensen† | 87.3 | 14 | Washington Redskins |
| 1968 | Bart Starr† (3) | 104.3 | 12 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1969 | Bart Starr† (4) | 89.9 | 12 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1970 | John Brodie | 93.8 | 14 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1971 | Roger Staubach† | 104.8 | 13 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1972 | Earl Morrall | 91.0 | 14 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1973 | Roger Staubach† (2) | 94.6 | 14 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1974 | Ken Anderson | 95.7 | 13 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1975 | Ken Anderson (2) | 93.9 | 14 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1976 | Ken Stabler† | 103.4 | 12 | Oakland Raiders |
| 1977 | Bob Griese† | 87.8 | 14 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1978 | Roger Staubach† (3) | 84.9 | 15 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1979 | Roger Staubach† (4) | 92.3 | 16 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1980 | Brian Sipe | 91.4 | 16 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1981 | Ken Anderson (3) | 98.4 | 16 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1982 | Ken Anderson (4) | 95.3 | 9 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1983 | Steve Bartkowski | 97.6 | 14 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1984 | Dan Marino† | 108.9 | 16 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1985 | Ken O'Brien | 96.2 | 16 | New York Jets |
| 1986 | Tommy Kramer | 92.6 | 13 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1987 | Joe Montana† | 102.1 | 13 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1988 | Boomer Esiason | 97.4 | 16 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1989 | Joe Montana† (2) | 112.4* | 13 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1990 | Jim Kelly† | 101.2 | 14 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1991 | Steve Young† | 101.8 | 11 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1992 | Steve Young† (2) | 107.0 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1993 | Steve Young† (3) | 101.5 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1994 | Steve Young† (4) | 112.8* | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1995 | Jim Harbaugh | 100.7 | 15 | Indianapolis Colts |
| 1996 | Steve Young† (5) | 97.2 | 12 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1997 | Steve Young† (6) | 104.7 | 15 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1998 | Randall Cunningham | 106.0 | 15 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1999 | Kurt Warner† | 109.2 | 16 | St. Louis Rams |
| 2000 | Brian Griese | 102.9 | 10 | Denver Broncos |
| 2001 | Kurt Warner† (2) | 101.4 | 16 | St. Louis Rams |
| 2002 | Chad Pennington | 104.2 | 15 | New York Jets |
| 2003 | Steve McNair | 100.4 | 14 | Tennessee Titans |
| 2004 | Peyton Manning† | 121.1* | 16 | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2005 | Peyton Manning† (2) | 104.1 | 16 | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2006 | Peyton Manning† (3) | 101.0 | 16 | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2007 | Tom Brady | 117.2 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2008 | Philip Rivers | 105.5 | 16 | San Diego Chargers |
| 2009 | Drew Brees | 109.6 | 15 | New Orleans Saints |
| 2010 | Tom Brady (2) | 111.0 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2011 | Aaron Rodgers^ | 122.5* | 15 | Green Bay Packers |
| 2012 | Aaron Rodgers^ (2) | 108.0 | 16 | Green Bay Packers |
| 2013 | Nick Foles | 119.2 | 13 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2014 | Tony Romo | 113.2 | 15 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2015 | Russell Wilson^ | 110.1 | 16 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2016 | Matt Ryan | 117.1 | 16 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2017 | Alex Smith | 104.7 | 15 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2018 | Drew Brees (2) | 115.7 | 15 | New Orleans Saints |
| 2019 | Ryan Tannehill | 117.5 | 12 | Tennessee Titans |
| 2020 | Aaron Rodgers^ (3) | 121.5 | 16 | Green Bay Packers |
| 2021 | Aaron Rodgers^ (4) | 111.9 | 16 | Green Bay Packers |
| 2022 | Tua Tagovailoa^ | 105.5 | 13 | Miami Dolphins |
| 2023 | Brock Purdy^ | 113.0 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2024 | Lamar Jackson^ | 119.6 | 17 | Baltimore Ravens |

## AFL annual passer rating leaders

Key :
| Symbol | Meaning |
| Leader | The player who recorded the highest passer rating in the AFL |
| Rate | The passer rating of the player |
| GP | The number of games played by a player during the season |
| † | Pro Football Hall of Fame member |
| * | Player set the single-season passer rating record |
| (#) | Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list |
AFL annual passer rating leaders by season :
| Season | Player | Rate | GP | Team |
| 1960 | Tom Flores† | 71.8* | 14 | Oakland Raiders |
| 1961 | George Blanda† | 91.3* | 14 | Houston Oilers |
| 1962 | Len Dawson† | 98.3* | 14 | Dallas Texans |
| 1963 | Tobin Rote | 86.7 | 14 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1964 | Len Dawson† (2) | 89.9 | 14 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1965 | Len Dawson† (3) | 81.3 | 14 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1966 | Len Dawson† (4) | 101.7* | 14 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1967 | Len Dawson† (5) | 83.7 | 14 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1968 | Len Dawson† (6) | 98.6 | 14 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1969 | Greg Cook | 88.3 | 11 | Cincinnati Bengals |

## Most seasons leading the league

| Count | Player | Seasons | Team(s) |
| 6 | Len Dawson | 1962, 1964–1968 | Dallas Texans (1) / Kansas City Chiefs (5) |
| 6 | Steve Young | 1991–1994, 1996, 1997 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 4 | Ken Anderson | 1974, 1975, 1981, 1982 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 4 | Aaron Rodgers | 2011, 2012, 2020, 2021 | Green Bay Packers |
| 4 | Bart Starr | 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969 | Green Bay Packers |
| 4 | Roger Staubach | 1973, 1973, 1978, 1979 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 3 | Sammy Baugh | 1940, 1945, 1947 | Washington Redskins |
| 3 | Arnie Herber | 1934, 1936, 1939 | Green Bay Packers |
| 3 | Sid Luckman | 1941, 1943, 1946 | Chicago Bears |
| 3 | Peyton Manning | 2004–2006 | Indianapolis Colts |