Elite quarterbacks can lead their team to a championship while teams with bad quarterback play will have a hard time finding success. A statistic that is often used in football to measure a quarterback’s performance is a quarterback’s passer rating. So, what you might be wondering what is considered to be a good quarterback passer rating?
A good quarterback passer in today’s football is a rating of 95 to 100. Mediocre quarterbacks tend to have a passer rating around 80 to 84, with below average quarterbacks being in the 60 to 70 range. Elite quarterbacks typically have a quarterback passer rating of 105 to 120 range. A perfect passer rating given the formula used is 158.3.
Quarterback Passer Rating
How do you judge a quarterback’s performance for a game and even season? Well that is done by a tactical number called passer rating. A passer rating is simply a formula that is used to measure how well a quarterback is playing.
A quarterback’s passer rating is tracked game to game and throughout their entire career. So, what is a good passer rating?
In general, a good passer rating in today’s football is a rating of 95 or above. Top tier quarterbacks that have a passer rating above 95 give their teams a great opportunity to win. On the other hand, a passer rating of 85 or below is considered to be average to below average. Teams with this level of quarterback play might have a hard time winning football games.
Here is a table that breaks down the different passer rating numbers and how they compare to the level of play.
| Quarterback Passer Rating | Level |
| 158.3 | Perfect |
| 120-100 | Elite |
| 99-90 | Good |
| 89-80 | Average |
| 80 or below | Below Average |
The table above gives you a general idea on the different categories of numbers and what type of quarterbacks tend to put up these stats.
Now let’s break down the different levels of football and what would be a good passer rating at each one.
NFL QB Passer Rating
A good quarterback passer in the NFL is a rating of 95 to 100. Mediocre quarterbacks tend to have a passer rating around 80 to 84, with below average quarterbacks being in the 60 to 70 range. Elite NFL quarterbacks typically have a quarterback passer rating of 105 to 120 range. A perfect NFL passer rating given the formula used is 158.3.
College QB Passer Rating
The NCAA doesn’t use passer rating to measure the performance of college football quarterbacks, but instead measure it by using passing efficiency. Passer efficiency rating is similar to passer rating but is on a scale from -731.6 to 1261.6. A good passer efficiency rating in college football would be any number in the 140-150 range and above. The same metrics are considered, but are used in a different formula.
High School QB Passer Rating
A passer rating in high school football is something that isn’t often measured and looked at. However, if you have access to all of the necessary metrics a quarterback passer rating can certainly be calculated for high school players. In my opinion a good high school passer rating would be any number above 85-90.
Perfect QB Passer Rating
How Passer Rating is Calculated
In order to calculate a quarterback’s passer rating you first need these five stats:
- Attempts
- Completions
- Passing Yards
- Interceptions
- Touchdowns
You take each of these stats and plug it into a formula. You can find a Passer Rating Calculator by clicking here.
Here is a video below that goes into how a passer rating is calculated.
Quarterback Rating vs. Passer Rating
Quarterback rating and passer rating are both stats that measure a quarterback’s performance during a football game. Each one has different stats it uses to help measure how well a quarterback is playing.
Here is a breakdown of the differences between the two and how they are measured.
Passer Rating
A passer rating is a method used to measure a quarterback’s performance by taking into account yards, touchdowns, interceptions, and completion/attempts, to calculate a rating on a scale of 0 to 158.3
It’s one of the most common and basic ways to determine how well a quarterback is playing. The formula used to calculate Passer Rating can be found here.
Quarterback Rating (QBR)
QBR is a statistic that was originally created by ESPN that is also used to measure the performance of a QB. The attention of the QBR is to include all the factors a quarterback has on winning a game. Including yards, penalties, rushing yards and turnovers that are not included in a quarterback’s passer rating. It’s thought of as being a better alternative to a passer rating to measure a QB performance.
However, ESPN hasn’t released the specific formula to calculate QBR, which has led to some criticisms and claims that it’s entirely subjective.
For a more in-depth look at comparing these two stats check out this article: Total Quarterback Rating (QBR) vs. Passer Rating.
Highest QB Passer Rating Ever
The highest passer rating that can be achieved is 158.3. No quarterback has ever achieved a perfect passer rating over their career. However there have been multiple quarterbacks that have had a perfect passer rating in a single game and even in the playoffs.
The highest career passer rating is currently held by Patrick Mahomes who has a passer rating of 105.8 but he is still actively playing. Aaron Rodgers has a career passer rating of 104.5 along with Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson. The highest ever single game passer rating is a 158.3 which is a perfect rating.
As of 2022 here is a look at the top passer ratings ever recorded during a single game and for a player’s career. (According to pro-football-refrence.com)
Highest Single Game Passer Rating
There are over 74 NFL quarterbacks that have completed a game with a perfect passer rating of 158.3. Some of which have put up a perfect passer rating multiple times over their career.
Here is a look at some of the most recent QB’s that have had a perfect passer rating and when it happened. (source: pro-football-refrence.com)
| Player | Passer Rating | Team | Date |
| Tom Brady | 158.3 | TB | 12/26/20 |
| Lamar Jackson | 158.3 | BAL | 11/10/19 |
| Aaron Rodgers | 158.3 | GB | 10/20/10 |
| Deshaun Watson | 158.3 | HOU | 10/6/19 |
| Dak Prescott | 158.3 | DAL | 9/8/19 |
| Lamar Jackson | 158.3 | BAL | 9/8/19 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | 158.3 | PIT | 11/8/18 |
| Russell Wilson | 158.3 | SEA | 10/28/18 |
Highest Career Passer Rating
It’s one thing for a quarterback to have a game or two with a high passer rating, but it’s much more impressive to have a career average passer rating that is high.
Here is a look at some of the top NFL quarterbacks and what their career passer rating is:
| Player | Passer Rating |
| Patrick Mahomes | 105.8 |
| Aaron Rodgers | 104.5 |
| Deshaun Watson | 104.5 |
| Russell Wilson | 101.8 |
| Drew Bree’s | 98.7 |
| Dak Prescott | 98.7 |
| Kirk Cousins | 98.6 |
| Tom Brady | 97.6 |
| Tony Romo | 97.1 |
| Steve Young | 96.8 |
Lowest QB Passer Rating Ever
Here is a list according to footballperspective.com that shows the quarterbacks that finished with the lowest passer rating in the NFL in each year since 2000.
QB Passer Rating FAQ
Is a passer rating of 80 good?
A passer rating of 80 is considered to be a mediocre to below average quarterback rating. Average quarterbacks typically have a quarterback rating of 85 to 90. Quarterbacks with a passer rating of 80 or below are considered to be below average. Teams with this type of quarterback play will struggle to win consistently.
Is a 90-passer rating good?
A quarterback passer rating of 90 is considered to be a good to excellent passer rating. Quarterbacks with a 90 and above are very effective and productive players that typically lead their teams to a lot of wins and into the playoffs.
Is a 100-passer rating good?
A quarterback passer rating of a 100 is considered to be an elite and is achieved by only the best quarterbacks in football. For example, Aaron Rodgers who won the MVP award during the 2021 NFL season had a quarterback passer rating of 111.9. Most elite NFL quarterbacks have a passer rating of 98 or above in today’s NFL.
Final Thoughts
I hope this article provides some clarity on what is considered to be a good passer rating at the different levels of football and that you consider the different variables we discussed in this article.