Completion Percentage
Calculator

Completion percentage is completed passes divided by pass attempts, multiplied by 100. It shows how often a quarterback's throws are successfully caught by an intended receiver, regardless of how many yards each completion gains.

A quarterback who mostly throws short, low-risk passes can post a very high completion percentage while gaining relatively few yards per attempt, since short passes are easier to complete. Completion percentage alone doesn't reveal whether those completions are actually moving the offense down the field effectively.

A completion percentage above 65% is generally considered very good in today's game, around 62-64% is roughly average for a starter, and below 58% typically signals accuracy or decision-making struggles. These numbers have crept up over recent decades as offenses have shifted toward shorter, higher-percentage passing schemes.

No, a pass that's dropped by a receiver still counts as an incompletion against the quarterback in the official statistic, even though the quarterback made an accurate throw. This is why some analysts track adjusted completion percentage, which credits the quarterback for drops and removes spikes or throwaways.

Play-action and shorter passing schemes tend to create more open receivers and easier throws, which raises completion percentage, while offenses that push the ball deep more often will naturally have lower completion rates even with equally skilled quarterbacks. Scheme and play-calling philosophy significantly shape this statistic independent of individual talent.