League Leaders Who Led?

NFL Single-Season Completion Percentage Record Progression

Every season that raised the bar, and the leader in every season between.

All-time career leaders →

The NFL single-season completion percentage record is 74.4%, set by Drew Brees in 2018. It has stood for 7 years. The mark has been raised 10 times since 1936.

YDSTDRTGY/ACMP%Y/GCMPATT1DTD%INTINT%SK

Record Holders

11 marks since 1936
Year Player CMP% Stood for
2018 Drew Brees Drew Brees 74.4% still standing
2017 Drew Brees Drew Brees 72.0% 1 year
2016 Sam Bradford Sam Bradford 71.6% 1 year
2011 Drew Brees Drew Brees 71.4% 5 years
2009 Drew Brees Drew Brees 70.6% 2 years
1982 Ken Anderson 70.6% 27 years
1945 Sammy Baugh Sammy Baugh 70.3% 37 years
1940 Sammy Baugh Sammy Baugh 62.7% 5 years
1939 Parker Hall 51.0% 1 year
1937 Sammy Baugh Sammy Baugh 47.4% 2 years
1936 Arnie Herber 44.5% 1 year

The earliest marks here are records only in the sense that nobody had done better yet. Season length, schedule and the rules themselves have all changed, so a figure from the 1870s is not comparable with a modern one and is not offered as though it were.

Every Season

89 seasons
Year Leader CMP%
2025 Drake Maye 72.0%
2024 Tua Tagovailoa 72.9%
2023 Jake Browning 70.4%
2022 Geno Smith 69.8%
2021 Joe Burrow 70.4%
2020 Aaron Rodgers 70.7%
2019 Drew Brees 74.3%
2018 Drew Brees 74.4% new record
2017 Drew Brees 72.0% new record
2016 Sam Bradford 71.6% new record
2015 Kirk Cousins 69.8%
2014 Tony Romo 69.9%
2013 Philip Rivers 69.5%
2012 Matt Ryan 68.6%
2011 Drew Brees 71.4% new record
2010 Drew Brees 68.1%
2009 Drew Brees 70.6% new record
2008 Chad Pennington 67.4%
2007 Tom Brady 68.9%
2006 David Carr 68.3%
2005 Carson Palmer 67.8%
2004 Brian Griese 69.4%
2003 Peyton Manning 67.0%
2002 Chad Pennington 68.9%
2001 Kurt Warner 68.7%
2000 Kurt Warner 67.7%
1999 Kurt Warner 65.3%
1998 Brett Favre 63.0%
1997 Steve Young 67.7%
1996 Steve Young 67.7%
1995 Steve Young 66.9%
1994 Steve Young 70.3%
1993 Troy Aikman 69.1%
1992 Steve Young 66.7%
1991 Dave Krieg 65.6%
1990 Jim Kelly 63.3%
1989 Joe Montana 70.2%
1988 Wade Wilson 61.5%
1987 Joe Montana 66.8%
1986 Eric Hipple 63.0%
1985 Joe Montana 61.3%
1984 Steve Bartkowski 67.3%
1983 Ken Anderson 66.7%
1982 Ken Anderson 70.6% new record
1981 Joe Montana 63.7%
1980 Joe Montana 64.5%
1979 Dan Fouts 62.6%
1978 Bob Griese 63.0%
1977 Fran Tarkenton 60.1%
1976 Ken Stabler 66.7%
1975 Fran Tarkenton 64.2%
1974 Ken Anderson 64.9%
1973 Ken Stabler 62.7%
1972 Norm Snead 60.3%
1971 Virgil Carter 62.2%
1970 Sonny Jurgensen 59.9%
1969 Sonny Jurgensen 62.0%
1968 John Brodie 57.9%
1967 Johnny Unitas 58.5%
1966 Bart Starr 62.2%
1965 John Brodie 61.9%
1964 Bart Starr 59.9%
1963 Y.A. Tittle 60.2%
1962 Bart Starr 62.5%
1961 Milt Plum 58.6%
1960 Milt Plum 60.4%
1959 Milt Plum 58.7%
1958 John Brodie 59.9%
1957 Y.A. Tittle 63.1%
1956 Ed Brown 57.1%
1955 Otto Graham 53.0%
1954 Otto Graham 59.2%
1953 Otto Graham 64.7%
1952 Norm Van Brocklin 55.1%
1951 Bobby Thomason 56.6%
1950 Bob Waterfield 57.3%
1949 Sammy Baugh 56.9%
1948 Sammy Baugh 58.7%
1947 Sammy Baugh 59.3%
1946 Sammy Baugh 54.0%
1945 Sammy Baugh 70.3% new record
1944 Frank Filchock 57.1%
1943 Sammy Baugh 55.7%
1942 Sammy Baugh 58.7%
1941 Cecil Isbell 56.8%
1940 Sammy Baugh 62.7% new record
1939 Parker Hall 51.0% new record
1937 Sammy Baugh 47.4% new record
1936 Arnie Herber 44.5% new record