In the NFL, the quarterback position requires a unique combination of physical attributes, including arm strength, accuracy, and mobility. One often overlooked but crucial trait for quarterbacks is having large hands. Bigger hands can allow for a better grip on the ball, leading to more accurate throws and a greater ability to throw with power. Having big hands can also make it easier to protect the football and help with defenders looking to pry the ball free.
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NFL prospects have their hands measured at the combine as teams want to have as much information about a player as possible before the draft. In the case of NFL quarterbacks, there is a lot of importance placed on hand size by most scouting departments around the league. The hand span is measured from the tip of the player’s thumb to the tip of their pinky finger with the hand fully extended.
Throughout NFL history, there have been many quarterbacks with big hands, but some stand out above the rest. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the biggest hand sizes among quarterbacks in the NFL and the impact it had on their game.
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Mark Sanchez – Hand Span 10.50 Inches
Sanchez played quarterback for the New York Jets in the late 2000s and has a pair of freakishly large hands that span a massive 10.5 inches. Unfortunately for Sanchez, those big hands didn’t help him when he ran into his offensive linemen and gave us one of the NFL’s most infamous plays: the ‘Butt Fumble’.
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Scott Zolak – Hand Span 10.50 Inches
Taken in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Patriots, Zolak played 7 seasons in New England and had a huge hand span that measured 10.5 inches. The backup quarterback retired from football after the 1999 season, having thrown just 8 career touchdown passes.
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Chris Simms – Hand Span 10.50 Inches
It’s no surprise that this player has big hands since football is in his DNA. As the son of legendary New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, Chris was able to follow in his father’s footsteps with help from his 10.5-inch hand span and played 5 seasons with the Buccaneers, Titans and Broncos in the mid to late 2000s.
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Nick Foles – Hand Span 10.63 Inches
Standing at a towering 6’6”, this signal caller’s hands are equally large with a total span of 10.63 inches. Foles is one of the few players on this list still active in the NFL and even won Super Bowl MVP honors in 2018 after leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a championship.
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Heath Shuler – Hand Span 10.63 Inches
Despite playing just three seasons at quarterback for the NFL’s Washington Redskins in the mid-90s, Heath Shuler will always be remembered due to the size of his incredible large hands. When you consider the fact that Heath Shuler is only 6’2”, the fact that his hand span measured 10.63 inches is truly remarkable.
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Ryan Mallett – Hand Span 10.75 Inches
As a career backup for the New England Patriots, Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, quarterback Ryan Mallett stood 6’6” and had a hand span that measured 10.75 inches. While those hands never got to do much damage on the field, it’s still impressive nonetheless.
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Ryan Fitzpatrick – Hand Span 10.75 Inches
The 16-year NFL journeyman is often referred to as the league’s smartest quarterback as a result of his college career at Harvard, but with a hand span of 10.75 inches, perhaps he should have been known for his big hands rather than his big brain.
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Cody Kessler – Hand Span 10.88 Inches
It almost seemed as if Cody Kessler stole his hands from a much taller man, as the 6’1” quarterback’s hand span is a massive 10.88 inches. Taken in the third round of the 2016 draft by the Cleveland Browns, Kessler and his big mitts only lasted 3 seasons in the NFL before calling it a career.
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Dak Prescott – Hand Span 10.88 Inches
As the other active NFL player on this list, Dak is currently the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He may be just 6’2” tall, but Prescott has huge hands with a 10.88-inch span that allows him to grip the football firmly with ease.
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Jim Druckenmiller – Hand Span 11.25
The top spot on this list goes to Druckenmiller, a backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Despite his brief playing career, Druckenmiller’s hands spanned an unthinkable 11.25 inches, the biggest of any quarterback in NFL history.
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