List of National Football League annual pass completion percentage leaders

This is a list of National Football League quarterbacks who have led the regular season in pass completion percentage each year.[1] The record for completion percentage in a season is held by Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints who completed 74.4% of his passes in 2018. Five quarterbacks have led the NFL in completion percentage in four different seasons (Sammy Baugh, Bart Starr, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Drew Brees), and one player (Len Dawson) achieved the same feat in the AFL. Otto Graham led the AAFC in 1947 and the NFL three times (1953-1955).

Completion percentage leaders
Drew Brees set the single-season completion percentage record five times and holds the career record.
Set record* Tied record^
Year Player Completion % Team Ref
1933 Arnie Herber 40.3%* Green Bay Packers [2]
1934 Arnie Herber (2) 36.5% Green Bay Packers [3]
1936 Ed Matesic 46.4%* Pittsburgh Pirates [4]
1937 Ed Danowski 49.3%* New York Giants [5]
1938 Ed Danowski (2) 54.3%* New York Giants [6]
1939 Parker Hall 51.0% Cleveland Rams [7]
1940 Sammy Baugh 62.7%* Washington Redskins [8]
1941 Cecil Isbell 56.8% Green Bay Packers [9]
1942 Sammy Baugh (2) 58.7% Washington Redskins [10]
1943 Sammy Baugh (3) 55.6% Washington Redskins [11]
1944 Frank Filchock 57.1% Washington Redskins [12]
1945 Sammy Baugh (4) 70.3%* Washington Redskins [13]
1946 Sammy Baugh (5) 54.0% Washington Redskins [14]
1947 Sammy Baugh (6) 59.3% Washington Redskins [15]
1948 Sammy Baugh (7) 58.7% Washington Redskins [16]
1949 Sammy Baugh (8) 56.9% Washington Redskins [17]
1950 Bob Waterfield 57.3% Los Angeles Rams [18]
1951 Bobby Thomason 56.6% Green Bay Packers [19]
1952 Norm Van Brocklin 55.1% Los Angeles Rams [20]
1953 Otto Graham 64.7% Cleveland Browns [21]
1954 Otto Graham (2) 59.2% Cleveland Browns [22]
1955 Otto Graham (3) 53.0% Cleveland Browns [23]
Bobby Layne Detroit Lions
1956 Ed Brown 57.1% Chicago Bears [24]
1957 Y. A. Tittle 63.1% San Francisco 49ers [25]
1958 John Brodie 59.9% San Francisco 49ers [26]
1959 Milt Plum 58.6% Cleveland Browns [27]
Billy Wade Los Angeles Rams
1960 Milt Plum (2) 60.4% Cleveland Browns [28]
1961 Milt Plum (3) 58.6% Cleveland Browns
1962 Bart Starr 62.5% Green Bay Packers [29]
1963 Y. A. Tittle (2) 60.2% New York Giants
1964 Bart Starr (2) 59.9% Green Bay Packers [30]
1965 John Brodie (2) 61.9% San Francisco 49ers
1966 Bart Starr (3) 62.2% Green Bay Packers [31]
1967 Johnny Unitas 58.5% Baltimore Colts
1968 Bart Starr (4) 63.7% Green Bay Packers [32]
1969 Sonny Jurgensen 62.0% Washington Redskins
1970 Sonny Jurgensen (2) 59.9% Washington Redskins
1971 Virgil Carter 62.2% Cincinnati Bengals
1972 Norm Snead 60.3% New York Giants
1973 Ken Stabler 62.7% Oakland Raiders
1974 Ken Anderson 64.9% Cincinnati Bengals [33]
1975 Len Dawson 66.4% Kansas City Chiefs [34]
1976 Ken Stabler (2) 66.7% Oakland Raiders [35]
1977 Fran Tarkenton 60.1% Minnesota Vikings
1978 Bob Griese 63.0% Miami Dolphins
1979 Dan Fouts 62.6% San Diego Chargers
1980 Joe Montana 64.5% San Francisco 49ers
1981 Joe Montana (2) 63.7% San Francisco 49ers
1982 Ken Anderson (2) 70.6%* Cincinnati Bengals [36]
1983 Ken Anderson (3) 66.7% Cincinnati Bengals [37]
1984 Steve Bartkowski 67.3% Atlanta Falcons
1985 Joe Montana (3) 61.3% San Francisco 49ers
1986 Eric Hipple 63.0% Detroit Lions
1987 Joe Montana (4) 66.8% San Francisco 49ers
1988 Wade Wilson 61.4% Minnesota Vikings
1989 Joe Montana (5) 70.2% San Francisco 49ers
1990 Jim Kelly 63.3% Buffalo Bills
1991 Dave Krieg 65.6% Seattle Seahawks
1992 Steve Young 66.7% San Francisco 49ers [38]
1993 Troy Aikman 69.1% Dallas Cowboys
1994 Steve Young (2) 70.3% San Francisco 49ers [39]
1995 Steve Young (3) 66.9% San Francisco 49ers [40]
1996 Steve Young (4) 67.7% San Francisco 49ers [41]
1997 Steve Young (5) 67.7% San Francisco 49ers [42]
1998 Brett Favre 63.0% Green Bay Packers
Steve Beuerlein Carolina Panthers
1999 Kurt Warner 65.1% St. Louis Rams
2000 Kurt Warner (2) 67.7% St. Louis Rams
2001 Kurt Warner (3) 68.7% St. Louis Rams
2002 Chad Pennington 68.9% New York Jets
2003 Peyton Manning 67.0% Indianapolis Colts
2004 Brian Griese 69.3% Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2005 Carson Palmer 67.8% Cincinnati Bengals
2006 David Carr 68.3% Houston Texans
2007 Tom Brady 68.9% New England Patriots
2008 Chad Pennington (2) 67.4% Miami Dolphins
2009 Drew Brees 70.6%^ New Orleans Saints [43]
2010 Drew Brees (2) 68.1% New Orleans Saints
2011 Drew Brees (3) 71.2%* New Orleans Saints [44]
2012 Peyton Manning (2) 68.6% Denver Broncos
Matt Ryan Atlanta Falcons
2013 Philip Rivers 69.5% San Diego Chargers
2014 Tony Romo 69.9% Dallas Cowboys
2015 Kirk Cousins 69.8% Washington Redskins
2016 Sam Bradford 71.6%* Minnesota Vikings [45]
2017 Drew Brees (4) 72.0%* New Orleans Saints [46]
2018 Drew Brees (5) 74.4%* New Orleans Saints [47]
2019 Drew Brees (6) 74.3% New Orleans Saints
2020 Aaron Rodgers 70.7% Green Bay Packers

Top 25 single-season completion percentage leaders

The NFL requires players to reach certain minimums to qualify as a leader in per-game stats, percentage stats, and passer rating. Since 1978 the minimum number is 14 pass attempts per team game (224 per season). These are the completion percentage leaders as compiled by Pro football reference.[48]

Updated through the 2020 season
RankPlayerCompletion %TeamSeason
1Drew Brees74.4%New Orleans Saints2018
2Drew Brees (2)74.3%New Orleans Saints2019
3Drew Brees (3)72.0%New Orleans Saints2017
4Sam Bradford71.6%Minnesota Vikings2016
5Drew Brees (4)71.2%New Orleans Saints2011
6Aaron Rodgers70.7%Green Bay Packers2020
7Drew Brees (5)70.6%New Orleans Saints2009
Ken AndersonCincinnati Bengals1982
9Drew Brees (6)70.5%New Orleans Saints2020
10Derek Carr70.4%Oakland Raiders2019
11Sammy Baugh70.3%Washington Redskins1945
Steve YoungSan Francisco 49ers1994
Ryan TannehillTennessee Titans2019
14Joe Montana70.2%San Francisco 49ers1989
Deshaun WatsonHouston Texans2020
16Kirk Cousins70.1%Minnesota Vikings2018
17Drew Brees (7)70.0%New Orleans Saints2016
18Tony Romo69.9%Dallas Cowboys2014
Matt RyanAtlanta Falcons2016
20Kirk Cousins (2)69.8%Washington Redskins2015
21Carson Wentz69.6%Philadelphia Eagles2018
22Philip Rivers69.5%San Diego Chargers2013
23Matt Ryan (2)69.4%Atlanta Falcons2018
24Brian Griese69.3%Tampa Bay Buccaneers2004
25Drew Brees (8)69.2%New Orleans Saints2014
Daunte CulpepperMinnesota Vikings2004
Josh AllenBuffalo Bills2020
RankPlayerCompletion %TeamSeason

Other leagues

All-America Football Conference (AAFC)
Year Player Completion percentage Team
1946 Charlie O'Rourke 57.7%[49] Los Angeles Dons
1947 Otto Graham 60.6%[50] Cleveland Browns
1948 Frankie Albert 58.3%[51] San Francisco 49ers
1949 George Ratterman 57.9%[52] Buffalo Bills

American Football League (AFL)
Year Player Completion percentage Team
1960 Tom Flores 54.0%[53] Oakland Raiders
1961 Babe Parilli 52.5%[54] Boston Patriots
1962 Len Dawson 61.0%[55] Dallas Texans
1963 Tobin Rote 59.4%[56] San Diego Chargers
1964 Len Dawson 56.2%[57] Kansas City Chiefs
1965 Len Dawson 53.4%[58] Kansas City Chiefs
1966 Len Dawson 56.0%[59] Kansas City Chiefs
1967 Len Dawson 57.7%[60] Kansas City Chiefs
1968 Len Dawson 58.5%[61] Kansas City Chiefs
1969 Len Dawson 59.0%[62] Kansas City Chiefs

Most titles
Titles Player Years Team(s)
8Sammy Baugh1940, 1942, 1943, 1945–1949Washington Redskins
Len Dawson1962, 1964–1969, 1975Dallas Texans, Kansas City Chiefs
6Drew Brees2009–2011, 2017–2019New Orleans Saints
5Joe Montana1980, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1989San Francisco 49ers
Steve Young1992, 1994–1997San Francisco 49ers
4Bart Starr1962, 1964, 1966, 1968Green Bay Packers

See also

References
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