Highest Passer Rating in NFL History
Lamar Jackson leads the highest career passer rating leaderboard at 102.4, followed by Aaron Rodgers at 102.1 and Joe Burrow at 101.0. Patrick Mahomes completes the quarterbacks above 100 on the updated graphic at 100.7, while Russell Wilson leads the next group at 99.3.
This ranking is based on career regular-season passer rating only. Postseason numbers are not included. Passer rating measures passing efficiency, so this list should not be treated as a ranking of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.
For broader quarterback comparisons, see our Best Quarterbacks of All-Time, Best Quarterbacks in the NFL Today and Most Rushing Yards by a Quarterback in NFL History.
Quick Answer: Who Has the Highest Career Passer Rating in NFL History?
Lamar Jackson leads the updated graphic with a 102.4 career regular-season passer rating. Aaron Rodgers is second at 102.1, Joe Burrow is next at 101.0 and Patrick Mahomes is listed at 100.7. Those four quarterbacks make up the only two tiers above the 100.0 mark.
Table of Contents
- How This Passer Rating Ranking Works
- Why Career Passer Rating Matters
- Tier 1: 102.0+ Passer Rating
- Tier 2: 100.0+ Passer Rating
- Tier 3: 98.0+ Passer Rating
- Tier 4: 96.8+ Passer Rating
- Tier 5: 94.0+ Passer Rating
- Tier 6: 92.0+ Passer Rating
- Tier 7: 89.5+ Passer Rating
- Biggest Takeaways
- Top 50 Career Passer Rating Leaders
- FAQ
- Sources and Data Notes
- More NFL All-Time Rankings
- Conclusion
How This Passer Rating Ranking Works
The graphic groups qualifying quarterbacks by career regular-season passer rating. It does not include playoff passer rating, rushing statistics, sacks, wins, championships or other measures of quarterback value.
The seven tiers follow the thresholds shown on the graphic. Tier 1 starts at 102.0, Tier 2 at 100.0, Tier 3 at 98.0, Tier 4 at 96.8, Tier 5 at 94.0, Tier 6 at 92.0 and Tier 7 at 89.5.
Because passer rating is a rate statistic, active quarterbacks can move considerably as they add more attempts. A strong or poor stretch can affect a younger quarterback’s career figure more than it would for a retired player with thousands of attempts already in his sample.
Why Career Passer Rating Matters
Career passer rating provides a compact look at passing efficiency by incorporating completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown rate and interception rate. Quarterbacks who combine accuracy, productive yardage and touchdowns while limiting interceptions generally perform well in the formula.
The leaderboard also needs era context. Modern quarterbacks operate in a more pass-friendly environment than players from earlier decades, so a direct numerical comparison between current stars and quarterbacks such as Joe Montana or Otto Graham does not tell the entire story.
That is why this list answers a specific statistical question: who owns the highest qualifying career regular-season passer ratings?
Tier 1: 102.0+ Passer Rating
Tier 1 features Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers among the highest career passer rating leaders in NFL history.
Tier 1 contains Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers. Both sit above 102.0 and have separated themselves from the rest of the graphic.
Lamar Jackson — 102.4
Career regular-season passer rating: 102.4
Lamar Jackson sits at the top of the updated leaderboard at 102.4. That number covers only his passing efficiency, which makes his placement particularly interesting because so much of his total offensive value also comes as a runner.
Jackson has developed into a far more efficient passer than the early version of his career suggested. His ability to force defenses to account for quarterback runs can also create favorable throwing situations without those rushing contributions appearing anywhere in the passer-rating formula.
Aaron Rodgers — 102.1
Career regular-season passer rating: 102.1
Aaron Rodgers follows at 102.1. His career has been built around an unusual combination of touchdown production and interception avoidance, two areas that strongly influence passer rating.
Maintaining a figure above 100 across such a long career separates Rodgers from quarterbacks who have reached similar efficiency over much smaller samples.
Tier 2: 100.0+ Passer Rating
Tier 2 features Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes among the NFL’s all-time career passer rating leaders.
Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes make up Tier 2. Both remain above 100.0 and are still active enough for their career numbers to move as new seasons are added.
Joe Burrow — 101.0
Career regular-season passer rating: 101.0
Joe Burrow sits at 101.0. Accuracy, timing and his willingness to challenge tighter windows have produced one of the strongest passing-efficiency profiles among active quarterbacks.
Burrow’s career sample is still much smaller than those of Rodgers, Drew Brees or Tom Brady, so his final place on this leaderboard remains far from settled.
Patrick Mahomes — 100.7
Career regular-season passer rating: 100.7
Patrick Mahomes is listed at 100.7 on the updated graphic. His placement combines strong efficiency with an aggressive passing style built around downfield throws, extended plays and off-platform creation.
Traditional passer rating cannot capture everything Mahomes does outside structure, but maintaining a career figure above 100 while consistently attacking defenses remains notable.
Tier 3: 98.0+ Passer Rating
Tier 3 features Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson, Drew Brees and Dak Prescott.
Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson, Drew Brees and Dak Prescott make up Tier 3. Each sits between 98.2 and 99.3 on the graphic.
Russell Wilson — 99.3
Career regular-season passer rating: 99.3
Russell Wilson leads Tier 3 at 99.3. Deep-ball accuracy and a strong touchdown-to-interception profile powered some of his most efficient seasons.
His career also illustrates how passer rating rewards quarterbacks who can create explosive plays without consistently giving the football away.
Deshaun Watson — 98.8
Career regular-season passer rating: 98.8
Deshaun Watson appears at 98.8. His placement here is strictly statistical and reflects career regular-season passing efficiency rather than a broader evaluation of his career.
His strongest passing seasons produced enough efficiency to keep his career figure near the top of the all-time leaderboard.
Drew Brees — 98.7
Career regular-season passer rating: 98.7
Drew Brees finished at 98.7 despite carrying an enormous passing workload over a long career. That combination of longevity and efficiency is what makes his position especially impressive.
Brees consistently paired accuracy with high passing volume, allowing him to remain efficient even while attempting far more passes than most quarterbacks on this list.
Dak Prescott — 98.2
Career regular-season passer rating: 98.2
Dak Prescott rounds out Tier 3 at 98.2. His career regular-season numbers have generally combined strong completion rates with efficient touchdown production.
This leaderboard does not include postseason results, so Prescott’s placement is based solely on what he has produced as a regular-season passer.
Tier 4: 96.8+ Passer Rating
Tier 4 features Jimmy Garoppolo, Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff and Steve Young.
Jimmy Garoppolo, Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff and Steve Young form Tier 4.
Jimmy Garoppolo — 97.6
Career regular-season passer rating: 97.6
Jimmy Garoppolo leads Tier 4 at 97.6. His most efficient stretches came in structured offenses where timing, yards after the catch and quick decisions helped keep the passing game on schedule.
His placement also demonstrates why rate statistics can produce a very different order from a list based on career volume or overall accomplishments.
Tom Brady — 97.2
Career regular-season passer rating: 97.2
Tom Brady finished with a 97.2 career regular-season passer rating. That figure came across an exceptionally large sample spanning more than two decades.
Brady’s placement outside the first three tiers is another reminder that passer rating is not designed to settle an all-time quarterback debate. Longevity, postseason production and team success are outside the formula.
Tony Romo — 97.1
Career regular-season passer rating: 97.1
Tony Romo sits at 97.1. His regular-season efficiency was consistently strong, particularly when he could use his anticipation and improvisation to generate plays beyond the initial structure.
Romo’s placement remains one of the better examples of how career passer rating can highlight a quarterback whose efficiency was stronger than his broader résumé might suggest.
Kirk Cousins — 96.8
Career regular-season passer rating: 96.8
Kirk Cousins appears at 96.8. Accuracy, play action and rhythm passing have been central to his statistical profile throughout his career.
His longevity has also given the figure a much larger sample than several younger quarterbacks surrounding him.
Jared Goff — 96.8
Career regular-season passer rating: 96.8
Jared Goff shares the 96.8 mark. His best seasons have come when he can operate from a clean platform, process quickly and attack defined windows.
Goff has produced efficient stretches in different offensive systems, which has helped keep his career figure near the upper end of the all-time leaderboard.
Steve Young — 96.8
Career regular-season passer rating: 96.8
Steve Young also finished at 96.8. His number deserves era context because much of his career came before the modern increase in league-wide passing efficiency.
Young was also a major rushing threat, meaning passer rating captures only one part of what made him so productive.
Tier 5: 94.0+ Passer Rating
Tier 5 features Jordan Love, Peyton Manning, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Philip Rivers, Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts.
Tier 5 includes Jordan Love, Peyton Manning, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Philip Rivers, Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts.
Jordan Love — 96.6
Career regular-season passer rating: 96.6
Jordan Love leads Tier 5 at 96.6. His smaller career sample means his number can still change much more quickly than those of the retired quarterbacks around him.
Even with that caveat, his early career efficiency places him comfortably inside the upper portion of the graphic.
Peyton Manning — 96.5
Career regular-season passer rating: 96.5
Peyton Manning finished at 96.5. His career featured massive passing volume, aggressive pre-snap control and a willingness to challenge defenses at every level.
Those responsibilities help explain why a single rate statistic cannot represent the full scope of Manning’s quarterback play.
Tua Tagovailoa — 96.4
Career regular-season passer rating: 96.4
Tua Tagovailoa is listed at 96.4. Accuracy, anticipation and quick distribution have driven his strongest stretches as an NFL passer.
Because his career sample is still relatively small, his eventual place among the all-time leaders remains highly sensitive to future seasons.
Justin Herbert — 96.2
Career regular-season passer rating: 96.2
Justin Herbert sits at 96.2. He has combined significant passing volume with efficiency while playing through multiple offensive systems.
Herbert’s arm talent allows him to attempt throws that a traditional efficiency metric cannot fully describe, but the career rating confirms that the production has remained strong.
Philip Rivers — 95.0
Career regular-season passer rating: 95.0
Philip Rivers finished at 95.0. His quick release and anticipation allowed him to sustain productive passing numbers across a long starting career.
Like Brees, Rivers combines strong efficiency with a much larger career sample than most of the active quarterbacks on this list.
Josh Allen — 94.7
Career regular-season passer rating: 94.7
Josh Allen appears at 94.7. His career number has benefited from major improvement in accuracy and decision-making after a less efficient start.
Passer rating also leaves out Allen’s rushing production, which accounts for a significant part of his total offensive value.
Jalen Hurts — 94.7
Career regular-season passer rating: 94.7
Jalen Hurts shares the 94.7 mark with Allen. His development as a passer has allowed him to combine efficient throwing with one of the strongest rushing profiles at the position.
As with Jackson and Allen, the career passer-rating figure represents only the passing side of his game.
Tier 6: 92.0+ Passer Rating
Tier 6 features Kurt Warner, Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger, Derek Carr, Joe Montana, Matthew Stafford and Kyler Murray.
Kurt Warner, Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger, Derek Carr, Joe Montana, Matthew Stafford and Kyler Murray form Tier 6.
Kurt Warner — 93.7
Career regular-season passer rating: 93.7
Kurt Warner leads Tier 6 at 93.7. His best offenses were built around aggressive downfield passing, accuracy and the ability to get the ball to playmakers in space.
Warner’s career included very different offensive situations, yet his final rating remained comfortably above 90.
Matt Ryan — 93.6
Career regular-season passer rating: 93.6
Matt Ryan finished at 93.6 after a long career with substantial passing volume. Maintaining that efficiency across so many attempts gives the number useful context.
Ryan’s peak seasons combined timing, intermediate accuracy and explosive play-action passing.
Ben Roethlisberger — 93.5
Career regular-season passer rating: 93.5
Ben Roethlisberger appears at 93.5. His career evolved from a lower-volume playmaker into a quarterback who handled much heavier passing workloads.
His ability to maintain a strong career rating through both phases of his career keeps him high on the leaderboard.
Derek Carr — 92.8
Career regular-season passer rating: 92.8
Derek Carr sits at 92.8. His career has featured consistent regular-season passing production despite changing offensive systems and supporting casts.
The number illustrates the difference between evaluating passing efficiency and evaluating a quarterback through wins or postseason accomplishments.
Joe Montana — 92.3
Career regular-season passer rating: 92.3
Joe Montana finished at 92.3. His position lower than many modern quarterbacks should be viewed through the passing environment of his era.
Completion rates, interception rates and offensive rules have changed significantly, making raw passer rating an imperfect cross-era comparison.
Matthew Stafford — 92.3
Career regular-season passer rating: 92.3
Matthew Stafford shares the 92.3 mark with Montana. Stafford has spent much of his career playing an aggressive style built around difficult throws and high passing volume.
That approach can create more volatility than a conservative passing system, but his career efficiency remains strong.
Kyler Murray — 92.0
Career regular-season passer rating: 92.0
Kyler Murray rounds out Tier 6 at 92.0. His ability to create outside structure and contribute as a runner gives him offensive value that passer rating does not capture.
As an active quarterback, Murray can still move considerably on this leaderboard over the remainder of his career.
Tier 7: 89.5+ Passer Rating
Tier 7 features Baker Mayfield, Ryan Tannehill, Teddy Bridgewater, Chad Pennington, Marcus Mariota, Andrew Luck and Matt Schaub.
Baker Mayfield, Ryan Tannehill, Teddy Bridgewater, Chad Pennington, Marcus Mariota, Andrew Luck and Matt Schaub make up Tier 7.
Baker Mayfield — 91.2
Career regular-season passer rating: 91.2
Baker Mayfield leads Tier 7 at 91.2. His career has included both inconsistent stretches and seasons of much stronger passing efficiency.
Because Mayfield remains active, continued efficient play can still move his career number higher.
Ryan Tannehill — 91.2
Career regular-season passer rating: 91.2
Ryan Tannehill also sits at 91.2. His most efficient seasons came in an offense that used play action and defined reads to create favorable throwing opportunities.
His career shows how strongly role and offensive structure can affect a quarterback’s efficiency.
Teddy Bridgewater — 90.3
Career regular-season passer rating: 90.3
Teddy Bridgewater appears at 90.3. Accuracy, short-to-intermediate efficiency and mistake avoidance were central to his best stretches.
Those traits generally translate well to passer rating even without consistently producing huge passing totals.
Chad Pennington — 90.1
Career regular-season passer rating: 90.1
Chad Pennington finished at 90.1. His game relied much more on accuracy, anticipation and decision-making than overwhelming arm strength.
That efficient style helped him remain above the 90 mark despite playing in a less pass-friendly era than today’s quarterbacks.
Marcus Mariota — 89.7
Career regular-season passer rating: 89.7
Marcus Mariota is listed at 89.7. His best passing stretches came when offenses could use movement, quick throws and play action to take advantage of his athleticism.
His rushing ability is another part of his game that remains outside the passer-rating formula.
Andrew Luck — 89.5
Career regular-season passer rating: 89.5
Andrew Luck finished at 89.5. His placement is a strong example of why passer rating and overall quarterback quality are not interchangeable.
Luck regularly carried a heavy offensive burden and attempted difficult throws, creating a style that could produce more interceptions while still generating substantial overall value.
Matt Schaub — 89.5
Career regular-season passer rating: 89.5
Matt Schaub also finished at 89.5. His peak seasons featured efficient play-action passing and productive intermediate throws.
His place on the leaderboard highlights how strong his best regular-season passing stretches were even if his career receives less attention than many quarterbacks above him.
Biggest Takeaways
Lamar Jackson Holds the Top Spot
Lamar Jackson’s 102.4 is the highest figure on the updated graphic. His position is particularly notable because career passer rating excludes the rushing production that forms such a large part of his game.
Four Quarterbacks Sit Above 100
Jackson, Rodgers, Burrow and Mahomes are the four quarterbacks shown above the 100.0 threshold. That creates a clear statistical separation between the first two tiers and the rest of the leaderboard.
Modern Quarterbacks Dominate the Top of the List
The upper tiers are filled with quarterbacks from the modern passing era. Rule changes, offensive design and league-wide improvements in completion percentage all help explain why recent players appear so prominently.
Steve Young Still Stands Out Across Eras
Steve Young’s 96.8 remains especially impressive because his career came before many of the conditions that have helped boost modern passing efficiency. He is also one of several mobile quarterbacks whose rushing value is invisible in the formula.
Passer Rating Is Not an All-Time Quarterback Ranking
Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Joe Montana all sit outside the first three tiers despite their broader all-time résumés. Passer rating answers a narrower question about passing efficiency rather than total quarterback accomplishment.
Top 50 Career Passer Rating Leaders
The table below expands the graphic into a Top 50 leaderboard. Shared ratings are shown as ties where applicable, so tied players can share the same statistical rank.
| Rank | Quarterback | Passer Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamar Jackson | 102.4 |
| 2 | Aaron Rodgers | 102.1 |
| 3 | Joe Burrow | 101.0 |
| 4 | Patrick Mahomes | 100.7 |
| 5 | Russell Wilson | 99.3 |
| 6 | Deshaun Watson | 98.8 |
| 7 | Drew Brees | 98.7 |
| 8 | Dak Prescott | 98.2 |
| 9 | Jimmy Garoppolo | 97.6 |
| 10 | Tom Brady | 97.2 |
| 11 | Tony Romo | 97.1 |
| 12 | Kirk Cousins | 96.8 |
| 12 | Jared Goff | 96.8 |
| 12 | Steve Young | 96.8 |
| 15 | Jordan Love | 96.6 |
| 16 | Peyton Manning | 96.5 |
| 17 | Tua Tagovailoa | 96.4 |
| 18 | Justin Herbert | 96.2 |
| 19 | Philip Rivers | 95.0 |
| 20 | Josh Allen | 94.7 |
| 20 | Jalen Hurts | 94.7 |
| 22 | Kurt Warner | 93.7 |
| 23 | Matt Ryan | 93.6 |
| 24 | Ben Roethlisberger | 93.5 |
| 25 | Derek Carr | 92.8 |
| 26 | Joe Montana | 92.3 |
| 26 | Matthew Stafford | 92.3 |
| 28 | Kyler Murray | 92.0 |
| 29 | Baker Mayfield | 91.2 |
| 29 | Ryan Tannehill | 91.2 |
| 31 | Teddy Bridgewater | 90.3 |
| 32 | Chad Pennington | 90.1 |
| 33 | Marcus Mariota | 89.7 |
| 34 | Andrew Luck | 89.5 |
| 34 | Matt Schaub | 89.5 |
| 36 | Carson Wentz | 89.4 |
| 37 | Colin Kaepernick | 88.9 |
| 38 | Gardner Minshew II | 88.0 |
| 39 | Carson Palmer | 87.9 |
| 40 | Daunte Culpepper | 87.8 |
| 41 | Geno Smith | 87.7 |
| 41 | Tyrod Taylor | 87.7 |
| 43 | Andy Dalton | 87.5 |
| 43 | Jeff Garcia | 87.5 |
| 45 | Trevor Lawrence | 87.1 |
| 46 | Mac Jones | 86.9 |
| 46 | Alex Smith | 86.9 |
| 46 | Mitchell Trubisky | 86.9 |
| 49 | Jacoby Brissett | 86.7 |
| 50 | Otto Graham | 86.6 |
FAQ: Highest Passer Rating in NFL History
Who has the highest career passer rating in NFL history on this graphic?
Lamar Jackson leads the updated graphic with a 102.4 career regular-season passer rating, ahead of Aaron Rodgers at 102.1.
Does career passer rating include playoff games?
No. This leaderboard uses regular-season career passer rating only. Postseason passer rating is excluded.
What goes into NFL passer rating?
The traditional NFL passer-rating formula uses completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown percentage and interception percentage to create one efficiency figure.
Why are so many modern quarterbacks near the top?
Modern NFL passing environments generally produce higher completion rates and more efficient passing numbers. Changes in rules, offensive systems and quarterback development make era context important when comparing the raw ratings.
Does the highest passer rating mean someone is the greatest quarterback ever?
No. Career passer rating measures passing efficiency. It does not directly include rushing, sacks, playoff performance, championships, longevity or the difficulty of the passing environment in which a quarterback played.
Sources and Data Notes
The statistical scope for this article is qualifying career regular-season NFL passer rating. Playoff statistics are excluded. The seven-tier graphic supplies the displayed Tier 1 through Tier 7 order and figures, while the extended leaderboard uses the current qualifying career leaderboard for the players beyond the graphic. The statistical leaderboard was reviewed on September 17, 2026. Current career-leader data can be checked through Pro Football Reference’s NFL passer rating career leaders. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Conclusion: Highest Passer Rating in NFL History
Lamar Jackson leads the updated highest career passer rating graphic at 102.4, followed by Aaron Rodgers at 102.1. The most important context is that career passer rating measures only passing efficiency, which is why its order can look very different from a broader all-time quarterback ranking.
The Top 50 also shows how strongly the modern passing era is represented near the top, making era, career length and total offensive value important context whenever these numbers are compared.
More NFL All-Time Rankings
This passer rating ranking is part of a larger NFL rankings series built around production, efficiency, peak dominance, longevity and era context. You can also follow SOG Football on Instagram for more NFL rankings, debates and football history content.
