What does QBR rating mean? Who are the highest rated quarterbacks in the NFL so far this season?

In American football, “QBR” is an abbreviation for “Quarterback Rating”. This metric is used to measure a quarterback’s performance during a game.

There are two main quarterback rating systems used in football, which are often confused with each other: the NFL Passer Rating and ESPN’s Total Quarterback Rating (QBR).

NFL Passer Rating

The NFL Passer Rating is a widely used statistic to measure a quarterback’s passing performance.

It considers four factors:

The formula to calculate the Passer Rating is slightly complex and involves these four components. The rating ranges from 0 to 158.3, with a higher rating indicating a better performance.

Total Quarterback Rating (QBR)

ESPN’s Total Quarterback Rating, also known as QBR, is a metric introduced by ESPN to provide a more complete evaluation of a quarterback’s overall contribution to a game. QBR considers various factors, including passing performance, rushing, fumbles, and situational factors, such as down and distance, adjusted for the strength and ranking of opposing defenses. It aims to provide a more holistic view of a quarterback’s impact on a game beyond traditional passing statistics.

The QBR scale ranges from 0 to 100, with 50 being an average performance. A score above 75 is typically considered excellent, while a score below 25 indicates a subpar performance.

2023 highest-rated quarterbacks

This season, Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers has the highest rating in both stat ranking versions, with a Passer Rating of 116.9 and a QBR score of 74.7. He is followed closely by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott with a score of 74.6, just 0.1 behind. Surprisingly, Josh Allen holds the third spot on the QBR scale, but the Buffalo Bills quarterback is only ranked 10th on the NFL’s Passer Ratings.