NFL All-Time Passer Rating Leaders - time adjusted

[CowboyRoy]

As we all know, NFL Passer ratings have been steadily drifting up for several decades now.
For example, the average of the top 15 passer ratings was:
76 in 1970
90 in 2000
103 in 2019

It's a big reason why the current leaderboard for career passer rating is so skewed to active players.

You can take the average rating of any year vs the current rating and come up with a real adjustment to these numbers.

Here is a TIME-ADJUSTED list of the NFL's Career Passer Rating leaders.
You'll find it makes much more sense if you want to measure players across eras.

Top 20 (of 100)

1. Graham
2. Young
3. Montana
4. Mahomes
5. Dawson
6. Jorgenson
7. Anderson
8. Rodgers
9. Staubach
10. Starr
11. Tarkenton
12. P Manning
13. Warner
14. Wilson
15. Romo
16. Brady
17. Brees
18. Unitas
19. Fouts
20. Marino

Amazing because Romo is #4 all time in QB rating and Dak is tied with Brady for 5th all time.

https://www.footballdb.com/leaders/career-passing-rating

 

[CowboyRoy]

These guys can float up or down a few slots depending on if I use a moving average to smooth out the odd years...say plus/minus 3 years (so 1980 would include average of 1978-82) or just use the actual number for that year.

https://www.footballdb.com/leaders/career-passing-rating

 

[cowboybish]

Bra

As we all know, NFL Passer ratings have been steadily drifting up for several decades now.
For example, the average of the top 15 passer ratings was:
76 in 1970
90 in 2000
103 in 2019

It's a big reason why the current leaderboard for career passer rating is so skewed to active players.

You can take the average rating of any year vs the current rating and come up with a real adjustment to these numbers.

Here is a TIME-ADJUSTED list of the NFL's Career Passer Rating leaders.
You'll find it makes much more sense if you want to measure players across eras.

Top 20 (of 100)

1. Graham
2. Young
3. Montana
4. Mahomes
5. Dawson
6. Jorgenson
7. Anderson
8. Rodgers
9. Staubach
10. Starr
11. Tarkenton
12. P Manning
13. Warner
14. Wilson
15. Romo
16. Brady
17. Brees
18. Unitas
19. Fouts
20. Marino

Bradshaw not in top 75 either

 

[DFWJC]

I've honestly never put much into QBR, you know a great QB when you see one, don't need statistics to tell you they're great.

I agree on a game to game or even year to year basis.
However
You'll notice 17 or 18 of the top 20 on that list are in the HOF or will be in the HOF.
Maybe as many as 19 or 20 will eventually get there with Romo being the only one left out (can't see him ever getting in)

So once you adjust for time, there is a massive correlation. Uncanny really.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I've honestly never put much into QBR, you know a great QB when you see one, don't need statistics to tell you they're great.

Its a rating for idiots. For those fans that think you measure my team record of SB's.

Romo was in incredible QB and his career was completely wasted by Jones and losers like Wade and Garrett.

 

[Section446]

Its a rating for idiots. For those fans that think you measure my team record of SB's.

Romo was in incredible QB and his career was completely wasted by Jones and losers like Wade and Garrett.

As someone who was a big critic of Romo during his career, I agree with you, we wasted him. Though, he had a tendency to fall apart when the spotlight was the brightest.

 

[Williamsboys]

Wow, Dak is ranked the same number of dollars he's probably gonna get per season.

 

[Section446]

Wow, Dak is ranked the same number of dollars he's probably gonna get per season.

I'd be okay with $33 million a year, actually sounds pretty fair... assuming it's a 5+ year deal.

 

[CowboyRoy]

As someone who was a big critic of Romo during his career, I agree with you, we wasted him. Though, he had a tendency to fall apart when the spotlight was the brightest.

He was a gun slinger. But he had little help and poor coaching. So again, the defeats get blamed on him like do with most QB and football challenged fans.

Romo go the label his first year when he fumbled the hold in the Seahawks game.

What kind of an idiot has your starting QB holding on FG kicks?

 

[Jumbo075]

Top 20 (of 100)

1. Graham --HOF
2. Young --HOF
3. Montana --HOF
4. Mahomes -Super Bowl MVP
5. Dawson --HOF
6. Jorgenson --HOF
7. Anderson --crickets
8. Rodgers --future HOF
9. Staubach --HOF
10. Starr --HOF
11. Tarkenton --HOF
12. P Manning --future HOF
13. Warner --HOF
14. Wilson --Super Bowl MVP
15. Romo --broadcaster dude
16. Brady --future HOF
17. Brees --future HOF
18. Unitas --HOF
19. Fouts --HOF
20. Marino --HOF

Romo will likely be in the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame some day.

 

[DFWJC]

Bra

Bradshaw not in top 75 either

It's an unbiased numbers rating, not a total assessment at all of who is better than who.
But no matter how much anyone can try to skew the numbers, Bradshaw (or Aikmen for that matter) will not get into the top 20 or so.

You'll notice 90% of the top 25 are current or future HOFers.

Aikman and Bradshaw have always been outliers with regard to Passer rating. Way better than the number show.
But in general, the adjusted list radically fixes the flaws of the current list...which has guys like Jarod Goff as 13th aal tie..or even dak as 5th best all -time. That's nuts and everyone (even those that love them) know it.

It moves true greats like Staubach WAY up the list, as it should.

----
update
I need to look into Bradshaw because I don't see him on my spreadsheet at all.
I'll check it out.

Good catch. Bradshaw should be 54th
70.9 passer rating adjusted up to 94.10

 

[DFWJC]

Romo will likely be in the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame some day.

 

[SlammedZero]

Mahomes is going to tear up the AFC for the nest 10-20 years as long as he can stay healthy. What a draft pick for the Chiefs.

 

[Jumbo075]

21-50

21) B Jones
22) Pennington
23) Rivers
24) Kelly
25) Cousins
26) Garcia
27) Theismann
28) Griese
29) Stafford
30) Van Brocklin
31) Roethlisberger
32) Meredith
33) Prescott
34) Ryan
35) Favre
36)Gabriel
37) Tittle
38) Lomax
39) Morrell
40) White
41) Culpepper
42) Gannon
43) Kosar
44) T Green
45) Kreig
46) Eason
47) Esiason
48) Brodie
49) Hostetler
50) OBrien

I remember watching Bert Jones play for the Baltimore Colts. He was Elway BEFORE Elway came along. Always thought he was going to be one of the great all-time QB's, but injuries derailed his career.

Never will forget the 1975 Colts team that started 1-4, and then won 9 straight games to take the AFC East Division Title.

 

[DFWJC]

Bra

Bradshaw not in top 75 either

Good catch on Bradhaw.
He was so far down the real PR list that I somehow passed him by
His official rating is 70.9 and his adjusted rating is 94.1....which is 54th.

 

[DFWJC]

If anyone has a player that they are curious about or that it appears I overlooked, let me know and I'll run the numbers.

 

[darthseinfeld]

Young's 1994 season, in my humble opinion, is the greatest season a QB has had in NFL history. I think he was the perfect QB outside of the injuries.

Agreed. Having a 70% competion percentage in that was unthinkable

 

[Fastpitch Dad]

As we all know, NFL Passer ratings have been steadily drifting up for several decades now.
For example, the average of the top 15 passer ratings was:
76 in 1970
90 in 2000
103 in 2019

It's a big reason why the current leaderboard for career passer rating is so skewed to active players.

You can take the average rating of any year vs the current rating and come up with a real adjustment to these numbers.

Here is a TIME-ADJUSTED list of the NFL's Career Passer Rating leaders.
You'll find it makes much more sense if you want to measure players across eras.

Top 20 (of 100)

1. Graham
2. Young
3. Montana
4. Mahomes
5. Dawson
6. Jorgenson
7. Anderson
8. Rodgers
9. Staubach
10. Starr
11. Tarkenton
12. P Manning
13. Warner
14. Wilson
15. Romo
16. Brady
17. Brees
18. Unitas
19. Fouts
20. Marino

This is awesome, thanks for sharing.

 

[Whirlwin]

Using key metrics from PFF’s QB Annual, the analytics show that Prescott was substantially better than Carson Wentz from a clean pocket, produced more positively graded plays, avoided negative plays, was on target more often, had a better adjusted completion percentage and was more efficient on third down.

 

[CowboyRoy]

It's an unbiased numbers rating, not a total assessment at all of who is better than who.
But no matter how much anyone can try to skew the numbers, Bradshaw (or Aikmen for that matter) will not get into the top 20 or so.

You'll notice 90% of the top 25 are current or future HOFers.

Aikman and Bradshaw have always been outliers with regard to Passer rating. Way better than the number show.
But in general, the adjusted list radically fixes the flaws of the current list...which has guys like Jarod Goff as 13th aal tie..or even dak as 5th best all -time. That's nuts and everyone (even those that love them) know it.

It moves true greats like Staubach WAY up the list, as it should.

----
update
I need to look into Bradshaw because I don't see him on my spreadsheet at all.
I'll check it out.

Good catch. Bradshaw should be 54th
70.9 passer rating adjusted up to 94.10

Those two were bus drivers that had arguably the two best supporting casts in the history of the NFL.

Put either of those guy on a mediocre to good team and they don't make the HOF by a long shot.