What is qb rating
Last updated: April 1, 2026
Key Facts
- The NFL passer rating formula considers four components: completion percentage, passing yards per attempt, touchdown percentage, and interception percentage
- A perfect NFL passer rating is 158.3, achieved by completing 77.5% of passes with ideal ratios of yards, touchdowns, and interceptions
- A rating above 100 is generally considered excellent, while ratings below 80 indicate below-average quarterback performance
- The rating system helps standardize quarterback statistics across different eras and playing styles in football
- College football uses a similar but slightly different passer rating calculation with adjusted coefficients
Overview
The QB rating, or quarterback passer rating, is a fundamental statistical tool used in American football to measure a quarterback's effectiveness and performance. Developed to provide a comprehensive evaluation of passing performance, the rating combines multiple aspects of a QB's game into a single metric.
How It's Calculated
The NFL passer rating uses a specific mathematical formula that evaluates four key components: completion percentage (how many passes were completed), passing yards per attempt (average distance of completed passes), touchdown percentage (proportion of touchdowns to attempts), and interception percentage (proportion of interceptions to attempts). Each component is assigned a statistical value, and these are combined using league-specific coefficients to produce the final rating.
Understanding the Scale
The passer rating scale typically ranges from 0 to 158.3. A rating of 100 or above is considered very good, indicating the quarterback is performing at a high level. Ratings between 80-100 are average to above-average, while ratings below 80 suggest below-average performance. The highest possible rating of 158.3 represents perfect performance according to the formula's criteria.
Historical Significance
Since its introduction, the QB rating has become the standard measure for evaluating quarterback performance across the NFL. It allows fans, analysts, and teams to compare quarterbacks across different eras and seasons. However, critics note that the rating doesn't account for factors like pressure, defense, quality of receivers, and clutch performance.
Modern Usage
Today, QB rating remains widely used in sports media and team evaluations, though advanced metrics like EPA (Expected Points Added) and QBR (Total Quarterback Rating) have emerged to provide more comprehensive analysis of quarterback performance.
Related Questions
What is QBR in football?
QBR (Total Quarterback Rating) is an advanced metric that accounts for all of a quarterback's contributions to winning, including rushing, sack avoidance, and clutch situations, providing a more comprehensive evaluation than traditional passer rating.
What counts as a good QB rating?
A QB rating above 100 is considered very good, 90-100 is good, 80-90 is average, and below 80 is below-average. Elite quarterbacks typically maintain ratings above 105 throughout a season.
How does QB rating compare to other football stats?
QB rating focuses specifically on passing efficiency, while other stats like completion percentage, yards, and touchdowns measure individual components. Advanced metrics like EPA and QBR provide context-based evaluations.
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Sources
- Wikipedia - Passer Rating CC-BY-SA-4.0
- NFL Official Statistics proprietary
- Pro Football Reference proprietary