Quarterback EPA per Dropback Leaders
Quarterback EPA per Dropback — 2021 NFL leaders, updated Oct 10, 2026. Aaron Rodgers (GB) led the league in expected points added per dropback at 0.24, ahead of 34 other qualifying players. Based on verified 2021 play-by-play data (nflverse); Half-PPR scoring. Through the 2021 season.
Expected points added per dropback asks what each pass attempt was worth; success rate asks how often the attempt simply worked, with no credit for the size of the gain. Read them together. A quarterback high in the first and low in the second lives on explosive plays and disappears for stretches; high in both is the profile of an offense that stays on schedule. The dropback is the honest denominator because it charges a passer for the snaps that never became throws — a sack and a scramble are both quarterback outcomes, and a passer whose per-attempt line looks tidy because he takes the sack instead of testing the coverage is exactly who this separates.
| # | Player | DB | EPA/DB | Success% | Total EPA | Scr% | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aaron Rodgers | 576 | 0.24 | 51.2% | 140.2 | 2.9% | Read |
| 2 | Patrick Mahomes | 733 | 0.22 | 52.8% | 157.8 | 6.3% | Read |
| 3 | Matthew Stafford | 642 | 0.19 | 50.3% | 121.7 | 1.3% | Read |
| 4 | Tom Brady | 750 | 0.19 | 51.2% | 141.1 | 1.3% | |
| 5 | Dak Prescott | 651 | 0.17 | 50.2% | 112.2 | 3.1% | Read |
| 6 | Joe Burrow | 591 | 0.17 | 48.9% | 101.3 | 3.4% | Read |
| 7 | Justin Herbert | 745 | 0.17 | 50.3% | 127.6 | 4.8% | Read |
| 8 | Josh Allen | 721 | 0.17 | 51.2% | 120.8 | 6.4% | Read |
| 9 | Jimmy Garoppolo | 475 | 0.16 | 48.8% | 76.6 | 1.3% | |
| 10 | Kyler Murray | 543 | 0.14 | 50.3% | 74.8 | 5.3% | Read |
| 11 | Teddy Bridgewater | 475 | 0.12 | 47.8% | 56.7 | 3.2% | |
| 12 | Kirk Cousins | 602 | 0.11 | 45.4% | 66.0 | 2.5% | Read |
| 13 | Jalen Hurts | 509 | 0.08 | 45.8% | 43.1 | 9.8% | Read |
| 14 | Mac Jones | 565 | 0.07 | 48.7% | 38.3 | 2.6% | |
| 15 | Tua Tagovailoa | 427 | 0.06 | 49.0% | 27.1 | 4.2% | Read |
| 16 | Ryan Tannehill | 597 | 0.06 | 49.6% | 35.9 | 3.2% | |
| 17 | Lamar Jackson | 470 | 0.06 | 48.9% | 26.8 | 10.4% | Read |
| 18 | Derek Carr | 683 | 0.04 | 46.4% | 27.1 | 2.5% | |
| 19 | Russell Wilson | 458 | 0.03 | 44.1% | 15.1 | 5.0% | |
| 20 | Carson Wentz | 578 | 0.02 | 44.8% | 13.7 | 4.5% | |
| 21 | Baker Mayfield | 487 | -0.02 | 43.1% | -8.1 | 5.1% | Read |
| 22 | Daniel Jones | 406 | -0.03 | 42.4% | -11.8 | 5.7% | Read |
| 23 | Matt Ryan | 618 | -0.03 | 46.0% | -20.5 | 2.8% | |
| 24 | Trevor Siemian | 204 | -0.05 | 41.2% | -9.5 | 1.5% | |
| 25 | Taylor Heinicke | 572 | -0.05 | 44.6% | -29.8 | 7.0% | |
| 26 | Jared Goff | 540 | -0.06 | 45.4% | -32.5 | 2.0% | Read |
| 27 | Tyler Huntley | 230 | -0.07 | 42.6% | -15.8 | 10.9% | |
| 28 | Ben Roethlisberger | 649 | -0.07 | 39.6% | -45.0 | 0.5% | |
| 29 | Jacoby Brissett | 257 | -0.08 | 42.8% | -21.5 | 5.1% | Read |
| 30 | Trevor Lawrence | 668 | -0.09 | 44.3% | -59.9 | 4.8% | Read |
| 31 | Andy Dalton | 268 | -0.10 | 43.3% | -27.7 | 4.5% | |
| 32 | Justin Fields | 349 | -0.12 | 42.4% | -43.0 | 12.9% | |
| 33 | Davis Mills | 434 | -0.13 | 42.6% | -55.0 | 2.3% | |
| 34 | Sam Darnold | 465 | -0.15 | 41.7% | -69.3 | 5.0% | Read |
| 35 | Zach Wilson | 445 | -0.19 | 36.9% | -86.1 | 3.6% |
Other seasons
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Both men's 2025 production side by side, and which of them rests on inputs that historically repeat.
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- Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt
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- Drop Rate
- Contested Catch Rate
- Interception-Worthy Throw Rate
- Quarterback-Fault Sack Rate
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- Team Air Yards and Passing Volume
- Receiver Separation and Cushion
- Wide Receiver Receiving Efficiency
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