How to measure NFL hand size plus full list of quarterbacks
It's a common topic of conversation around this time of year but do you know which NFL QB has the longest and shortest span or how it's decided?
And some people say that size matters. Well, while that may indeed be the case in some instances (you know, like when you're picking a center for your basketball team), when it comes to the hands of NFL quarterbacks it's less clear cut. That said, it is certainly an area of interest at the annual NFL Scouting Combine, and we now know how all the potential stars of the new season span up.
Other NFL stories:
- Top NFL QB prospect registers record hand size
- Shane Warne and the 'Ball of the Century'
- NFL Wordle? NBA Wordle? Don't miss out on latest versions
- Seattle not contemplating trading QB Russell Wilson
Measuring NFL hands
I can see you already looking at your throwing hand and thinking, 'how do I measure this thing to compare it to these multi-millionaire throwing stars?' Well, it's rather simple, although it's easier if someone helps.
Grab a tape measure and, ensuring that your hand is fully outstretched, position it so that it starts at the very tip of the thumb and ends at the top of the little 'pinkie' finger. If a child is helping with the measuring just tell them Daddy Finger to Baby Finger and they'll see you right!
With that knowledge in the bag, and the data provided by the National Football League, we can compare the quarterbacks that, at the time of writing, are starters for the new season.
8¾ inches
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
9 inches
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
9⅛ inches
Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
9¼ inches
Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns
Teddy Bridgewater, Denver Broncos
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers
Taylor Heinicke, Washington Commanders
9⅜ inches
Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers
Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9½ inches
Zach Wilson, New York Jets
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Davis Mills, Houston Texans
9¾ inches
Mac Jones, New England Patriots
Daniel Jones, New York Giants
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
9⅞ inches
Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
10 inches
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Carson Wentz, Indianapolis Colts
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
10⅛ inches
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
10¼ inches
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
Thanks to some number crunching by ESPN Stats, we can see that the median hand size of quarterbacks measured from 2008-2020 is 9 7/10 inches.
Here is the list of QBs with hand sizes under 9" since 1999:
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) February 2, 2022
Kevin Davidson (8 1/4")
Connor Halliday (8 3/8")
Tyler Wilson (8 3/4")
Zac Thomas (8 3/4")
Jordan Lynch (8 7/8")
Dustin Vaughn (8 7/8")
Brandon Allen (8 7/8")
Jake Fromm (8 7/8")
Kyler Shurmer (8 7/8")
Burrow jokes about retirement over hand size
One of the sensations of last season was undoubtedly the charismatic Joe Burrow, the Bengals man helping his team to Super Bowl LVI. But when comments were made about his 9 inch hand measurement, he tweeted that he was "considering retirement after I was informed the football will be slipping out of my tiny hands."
Considering retirement after I was informed the football will be slipping out of my tiny hands. Please keep me in your thoughts.
— Joey Burrow (@JoeyB) February 24, 2020
Fortunately for all of us - well maybe not some of his opponents - he was very much just kidding around.
Out of interest, there are enough statistics around demonstrating that the size of a QB's throwing hand is not a determining factor in fumble rates and performance in adverse weather conditions. Still, that won't stop us talking about it.