# List of NFL annual pass completion percentage leaders

This is a list of National Football League (NFL) quarterbacks who have led the regular season in pass completion percentage each year.
The National Football League (NFL) did not begin keeping official records until the 1932 season. In addition to the overall NFL pass completion percentage leaders, league record books recognize the pass completion percentage leaders of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970.
The record for completion percentage in a season is held by Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints who completed 74.4% of his passes in 2018. This marked the fourth time Brees set the record, having done so previously in 2009, 2011, and 2017. Sammy Baugh led the league in pass completion percentage eight times, a record that was later tied by Len Dawson, who led the AFL seven times and the NFL once.

## NFL annual completion percentage leaders

Key :
| Symbol | Meaning |
| Leader | The player who recorded the highest pass completion percentage in the NFL |
| Cmp% | The player's pass completion percentage for the season |
| † | Pro Football Hall of Fame member |
| ^ | The player is an active player |
| * | Player set the single-season pass completion percentage |
| (#) | Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list |
NFL annual pass completion percentage leaders by season :
| Season | Leader | Cmp% | Team |
| 1933 | Arnie Herber† | 40.3%* | Green Bay Packers |
| 1934 | Arnie Herber† (2) | 36.5% | Green Bay Packers |
| 1935 | No player met the minimum threshold | No player met the minimum threshold | No player met the minimum threshold |
| 1936 | Ed Matesic | 46.4%* | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 1937 | Ed Danowski | 49.3%* | New York Giants |
| 1938 | Ed Danowski (2) | 54.3%* | New York Giants |
| 1939 | Parker Hall | 51.0% | Cleveland Rams |
| 1940 | Sammy Baugh† | 62.7%* | Washington Redskins |
| 1941 | Sid Luckman† | 57.1% | Chicago Bears |
| 1942 | Sammy Baugh† (2) | 58.7% | Washington Redskins |
| 1943 | Sammy Baugh† (3) | 55.6% | Washington Redskins |
| 1944 | Frank Filchock | 57.1% | Washington Redskins |
| 1945 | Sammy Baugh† (4) | 70.3%* | Washington Redskins |
| 1946 | Sammy Baugh† (5) | 54.0% | Washington Redskins |
| 1947 | Sammy Baugh† (6) | 59.3% | Washington Redskins |
| 1948 | Sammy Baugh† (7) | 58.7% | Washington Redskins |
| 1949 | Sammy Baugh† (8) | 56.9% | Washington Redskins |
| 1950 | Bob Waterfield† | 57.3% | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1951 | Bobby Thomason | 56.6% | Green Bay Packers |
| 1952 | Norm Van Brocklin† | 55.1% | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1953 | Otto Graham† | 64.7% | Cleveland Browns |
| 1954 | Otto Graham† (2) | 59.2% | Cleveland Browns |
| 1955 | Otto Graham† (3) | 53.0% | Cleveland Browns |
| 1955 | Bobby Layne† | 53.0% | Detroit Lions |
| 1956 | Ed Brown | 57.1% | Chicago Bears |
| 1957 | Y. A. Tittle† | 63.1% | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1958 | John Brodie | 59.9% | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1959 | Milt Plum | 58.6% | Cleveland Browns |
| 1959 | Bill Wade | 58.6% | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1960 | Milt Plum (2) | 60.4% | Cleveland Browns |
| 1961 | Milt Plum (3) | 58.6% | Cleveland Browns |
| 1962 | Bart Starr† | 62.5% | Green Bay Packers |
| 1963 | Y. A. Tittle† (2) | 60.2% | New York Giants |
| 1964 | Rudy Bukich | 61.9% | Chicago Bears |
| 1965 | John Brodie (2) | 61.9% | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1966 | Bart Starr† (2) | 62.2% | Green Bay Packers |
| 1967 | Johnny Unitas† | 58.5% | Baltimore Colts |
| 1968 | Bart Starr† (3) | 63.7% | Green Bay Packers |
| 1969 | Bart Starr† (4) | 62.2% | Green Bay Packers |
| 1970 | Sonny Jurgensen† | 59.9% | Washington Redskins |
| 1971 | Virgil Carter | 62.2% | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1972 | Norm Snead | 60.3% | New York Giants |
| 1973 | Ken Stabler† | 62.7% | Oakland Raiders |
| 1974 | Ken Anderson | 64.9% | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1975 | Len Dawson† | 66.4% | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1976 | Ken Stabler† (2) | 66.7% | Oakland Raiders |
| 1977 | Fran Tarkenton† | 60.1% | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1978 | Bob Griese† | 63.0% | Miami Dolphins |
| 1979 | Dan Fouts† | 62.6% | San Diego Chargers |
| 1980 | Joe Montana† | 64.5% | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1981 | Joe Montana† (2) | 63.7% | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1982 | Ken Anderson (2) | 70.6%* | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1983 | Ken Anderson (3) | 66.7% | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1984 | Steve Bartkowski | 67.3% | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1985 | Joe Montana† (3) | 61.3% | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1986 | Eric Hipple | 63.0% | Detroit Lions |
| 1987 | Joe Montana† (4) | 66.8% | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1988 | Wade Wilson | 61.4% | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1989 | Joe Montana† (5) | 70.2% | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1990 | Jim Kelly† | 63.3% | Buffalo Bills |
| 1991 | Dave Krieg | 65.6% | Seattle Seahawks |
| 1992 | Steve Young† | 66.7% | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1993 | Troy Aikman† | 69.1% | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1994 | Steve Young† (2) | 70.3% | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1995 | Steve Young† (3) | 66.9% | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1996 | Steve Young† (4) | 67.7% | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1997 | Steve Young† (5) | 67.7% | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1998 | Brett Favre† | 63.0% | Green Bay Packers |
| 1998 | Steve Beuerlein | 63.0% | Carolina Panthers |
| 1999 | Kurt Warner† | 65.1% | St. Louis Rams |
| 2000 | Kurt Warner† (2) | 67.7% | St. Louis Rams |
| 2001 | Kurt Warner† (3) | 68.7% | St. Louis Rams |
| 2002 | Chad Pennington | 68.9% | New York Jets |
| 2003 | Peyton Manning† | 67.0% | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2004 | Brian Griese | 69.3% | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2005 | Carson Palmer | 67.8% | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2006 | David Carr | 68.3% | Houston Texans |
| 2007 | Tom Brady | 68.9% | New England Patriots |
| 2008 | Chad Pennington (2) | 67.4% | Miami Dolphins |
| 2009 | Drew Brees | 70.6%* | New Orleans Saints |
| 2010 | Drew Brees (2) | 68.1% | New Orleans Saints |
| 2011 | Drew Brees (3) | 71.2%* | New Orleans Saints |
| 2012 | Peyton Manning† (2) | 68.6% | Denver Broncos |
| 2012 | Matt Ryan | 68.6% | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2013 | Philip Rivers | 69.5% | San Diego Chargers |
| 2014 | Tony Romo | 69.9% | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2015 | Kirk Cousins^ | 69.8% | Washington Redskins |
| 2016 | Sam Bradford | 71.6%* | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2017 | Drew Brees (4) | 72.0%* | New Orleans Saints |
| 2018 | Drew Brees (5) | 74.4%* | New Orleans Saints |
| 2019 | Drew Brees (6) | 74.3% | New Orleans Saints |
| 2020 | Aaron Rodgers^ | 70.7% | Green Bay Packers |
| 2021 | Joe Burrow^ | 70.4% | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2022 | Geno Smith^ | 69.8% | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2023 | Jake Browning^ | 70.4% | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2024 | Tua Tagovailoa^ | 72.9% | Miami Dolphins |

## AFL annual completion percentage leaders

Key :
| Symbol | Meaning |
| Leader | The player who recorded the highest pass completion percentage in the AFL |
| Cmp% | The player's completion percentage for the season |
| GP | The number of games played by a player during the season |
| † | Pro Football Hall of Fame member |
| * | Player set the single-season pass completion percentage |
| (#) | Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list |
AFL annual pass completion percentage leaders by season :
| Season | Leader | Cmp% | Team |
| 1960 | Tom Flores† | 54.0%* | Oakland Raiders |
| 1961 | Babe Parilli | 52.5% | Boston Patriots |
| 1962 | Len Dawson† | 61.0%* | Dallas Texans |
| 1963 | Tobin Rote | 59.4% | San Diego Chargers |
| 1964 | Len Dawson† (2) | 56.2% | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1965 | Len Dawson† (3) | 53.4% | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1966 | Len Dawson† (4) | 56.0% | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1967 | Len Dawson† (5) | 57.7% | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1968 | Len Dawson† (6) | 58.5% | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1969 | Len Dawson† (7) | 59.0% | Kansas City Chiefs |

## Most seasons leading a league

| Count | Player | Seasons | Team(s) |
| 8 | Sammy Baugh | 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945–1949 | Washington Redskins |
| 8 | Len Dawson | 1962, 1964–1969, 1975 | Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs |
| 6 | Drew Brees | 2009–2011, 2017–2019 | New Orleans Saints |
| 5 | Joe Montana | 1980, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1989 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 5 | Steve Young | 1992, 1994–1997 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 4 | Bart Starr | 1962, 1966, 1968, 1969 | Green Bay Packers |
| 3 | Ken Anderson | 1974, 1982, 1983 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 3 | Otto Graham | 1953–1955 | Cleveland Browns |
| 3 | Milt Plum | 1959–1961 | Cleveland Browns |
| 3 | Kurt Warner | 1999–2001 | St. Louis Rams |