Once height is taken into account, some of the quarterbacks with the most extraordinary hands might surprise you
When people talk about quarterbacks with large hands, the discussion usually focuses on the biggest measurements ever recorded.
Players like Jim Druckenmiller or Ryan Mallett feature among 66 quarterbacks with the largest hand sizes in NFL history because of their enormous recorded handspans.
But there is a problem with looking at hand size this way.
Quarterbacks who stand 6’5″ or 6’6″ are naturally expected to have larger hands than quarterbacks who are barely six feet tall.
So simply listing the largest hands in NFL history doesn’t necessarily reveal the most unusual ones.
A much more interesting question is this:
Which quarterbacks have the largest hands relative to their height?
Once height is taken into account, the results become far more surprising.
Some of the biggest outliers in NFL history are not the towering quarterbacks many fans expect. Instead, several shorter passers suddenly emerge as extreme physical anomalies.
In fact, one quarterback barely over six feet tall ends up possessing the most disproportionate hand size in the entire dataset.
To understand why, we need to look at the numbers differently.
Methodology
To determine which quarterbacks truly have the largest hands relative to their height, I created a simple metric called the Relative Hand Size (RHS) Index.
Unlike the NBA, where both hand length and hand span are often measured, the NFL Combine records only hand span. That makes the calculation straightforward.
The formula is:
RHS = Hand Span ÷ Height (in inches)
This adjusts hand size relative to a player’s height.
A higher RHS score means a quarterback’s hands are larger than expected for his height, making him a true physical outlier.
Using official NFL Combine measurements and historical records, I calculated the RHS score for quarterbacks with some of the largest recorded hand sizes in NFL history and ranked them from highest to lowest.
Before revealing the top 10, here are five quarterbacks who narrowly missed the list but still possess remarkably large hands for their height.
Honorable Mentions
15. Tua Tagovailoa — RHS: 0.1389
Height: 6’0″
Handspan: 10.00″
For a quarterback standing only six feet tall, Tua Tagovailoa possesses unusually large hands.
His 10-inch handspan matches that of several quarterbacks who stand five or six inches taller, including players like Justin Herbert.
That grip gives Tagovailoa excellent control of the football, helping him maintain accuracy and ball security despite not having the towering frame typical of many NFL passers.
Once height is taken into account, his measurements place him among the most proportionally large-handed quarterbacks in the dataset.
14. Will Levis — RHS: 0.1399
Height: 6’4″
Handspan: 10.63″
Will Levis entered the NFL with one of the most impressive physical profiles of any recent quarterback prospect.
His 10.63-inch handspan ranks among the largest ever measured at the NFL Combine.
What makes it even more remarkable is that his hands are larger than those of several taller quarterbacks, including Nick Foles, who stands 6’6″ but recorded a nearly identical span.
That kind of grip strength helps quarterbacks generate tighter spirals and maintain control of the football in difficult weather conditions.
13. Brett Hundley — RHS: 0.1400
Height: 6’3″
Handspan: 10.50″
At 6’3″, Brett Hundley falls right around the typical height for an NFL quarterback.
What separates him from most players his size is his 10.5-inch handspan, a measurement more commonly associated with quarterbacks several inches taller.
Once height is taken into account, those numbers place Hundley among the most disproportionate hand-size outliers in the dataset, pushing him just outside the top ten on this list.
12. Austin Davis — RHS: 0.1403
Height: 6’2″
Handspan: 10.38″
Austin Davis is not a name usually mentioned in discussions about unusual physical traits.
Yet his measurements reveal something surprising.
His 10.38-inch handspan is exceptionally large for a quarterback standing 6’2″, placing him in the same territory as several quarterbacks who are two or three inches taller.
For a quarterback of his height, measurements like that place Davis in surprisingly rare territory.
11. Brett Favre — RHS: 0.1403
Height: 6’2″
Handspan: 10.38″
Brett Favre’s legendary arm strength is one of the most famous traits in NFL history.
But another physical advantage may have helped make those powerful throws possible.
Favre’s 10.38-inch handspan gave him exceptional control of the football, allowing him to generate tight spirals and maintain grip even in difficult weather conditions.
Considering he stood 6’2″, his measurements place him among the more unusually large-handed quarterbacks of his height.
Those five quarterbacks narrowly missed the final cut, but their measurements already hint at how unusual some of the numbers in this dataset are.
Once the rankings reach the top ten, the anomalies become even more striking.
Several quarterbacks here possess hand sizes typically associated with players several inches taller, and a few stand barely over six feet.
The next player is a perfect example.
10. Mark Sanchez — RHS: 0.1419
Height: 6’2″
Handspan: 10.50″
Mark Sanchez may be remembered for his roller-coaster NFL career, but his physical measurements reveal something much more unusual.
His 10.5-inch handspan is enormous for a quarterback standing 6’2″, matching the grip of several passers who are significantly taller.
Measurements like that are rare at his height and help explain why Sanchez could generate tight spirals and strong throws despite not possessing the towering frame many quarterbacks with hands this large tend to have.
9. Steve McNair — RHS: 0.1419
Height: 6’2″
Handspan: 10.50″
Steve McNair was one of the toughest quarterbacks of his era, famous for extending plays and delivering powerful throws even while absorbing heavy contact.
His 10.5-inch handspan gave him exceptional control of the football, an advantage that likely helped him maintain accuracy while scrambling or throwing on the move.
For a quarterback standing 6’2″, numbers like that are rare, helping explain how McNair generated the kind of velocity and ball security that defined his playing style.
8. David Garrard — RHS: 0.1419
Height: 6’2″
Handspan: 10.50″
David Garrard was known for his calm presence in the pocket and his ability to take care of the football.
Part of that reliability may have come from an overlooked physical trait.
His 10.5-inch handspan is remarkably large for a quarterback standing 6’2″, giving him the kind of ball control that many taller passers rely on.
Numbers like that help explain why Garrard consistently ranked among the league’s most efficient quarterbacks during his prime.
7. Drew Brees — RHS: 0.1424
Height: 6’0″
Handspan: 10.25″
Drew Brees spent much of his career proving that elite quarterback play didn’t require towering height.
Standing 6 feet tall, he still recorded a 10.25-inch handspan, an unusually large measurement for a quarterback of his stature.
That kind of hand size likely contributed to the precise ball control and tight spirals that became trademarks of his record-breaking passing career.
For contrast, Michael Vick stood at the same height but recorded an 8.5-inch handspan, placing him among the smallest recorded hand measurements among NFL quarterbacks.
6. Heath Shuler — RHS: 0.1436
Height: 6’2″
Handspan: 10.63″
Heath Shuler entered the NFL with the kind of physical tools that made scouts take notice.
Among them was a 10.63-inch handspan, an enormous measurement for a quarterback standing 6’2″.
Numbers like that are rarely seen at his height and help explain why Shuler ranked so highly when hand size is evaluated relative to stature.
5. Russell Wilson — RHS: 0.1444
Height: 5’11”
Handspan: 10.25″
Russell Wilson has spent his entire career challenging the idea that successful quarterbacks must be tall.
At just 5’11”, he is the shortest player anywhere near the top of this ranking.
Yet his 10.25-inch handspan rivals that of many quarterbacks standing several inches taller, an unusual combination that stands out once height is factored into the equation.
For a quarterback under six feet tall, numbers like that are exceptionally rare and highlight just how unusual Wilson’s physical profile really is.
4. Ryan Fitzpatrick — RHS: 0.1453
Height: 6’2″
Handspan: 10.75″
Ryan Fitzpatrick’s long NFL career made him one of the league’s most recognizable journeyman quarterbacks.
But behind the beard and Harvard pedigree was an unusually large physical trait.
His 10.75-inch handspan is enormous for a quarterback standing 6’2″, placing him among the biggest hand measurements recorded at the position.
Once height is considered, numbers like that push Fitzpatrick close to the very top of the rankings.
3. Jim Druckenmiller — RHS: 0.1461
Height: 6’5″
Handspan: 11.25″
Jim Druckenmiller recorded one of the largest hand measurements ever documented for a quarterback.
His 11.25-inch handspan remains among the biggest numbers ever measured at the NFL Combine.
Even for a quarterback standing 6’5″, hands that large are extremely rare, placing Druckenmiller near the very top of this height-adjusted ranking.
2. Dak Prescott — RHS: 0.1470
Height: 6’2″
Handspan: 10.88″
Dak Prescott’s 10.88-inch handspan is one of the largest ever measured for an NFL quarterback.
What makes the number especially striking is that it rivals the hand measurements of significantly taller passers.
For a quarterback standing 6’2″, numbers like that are extremely unusual and place Prescott among the most disproportionate hand-size outliers ever recorded at the position.
1. Cody Kessler — RHS: 0.1490
Height: 6’1″
Handspan: 10.88″
At first glance, Cody Kessler might seem like an unlikely player to top this ranking.
Standing just 6’1″, he is shorter than most quarterbacks typically associated with massive hand measurements.
Yet his 10.88-inch handspan rivals or exceeds the measurements of several much taller passers.
Once height is factored into the equation, Kessler’s numbers become extraordinary.
Few quarterbacks barely over six feet tall possess hands that large, making his measurement one of the most extreme hand-to-height anomalies recorded among NFL passers.
When people think about large hands in football, the assumption is simple: the tallest quarterbacks must have the biggest ones.
But once height is taken into account, the story becomes far more interesting.
Some of the most extreme hand-size anomalies in NFL history actually belong to quarterbacks who were far from the tallest on the field. Players like Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, and Dak Prescott show that extraordinary measurements can appear in unexpected places.
And at the very top sits Cody Kessler, a quarterback whose unusually large hands relative to his height make him one of the most surprising physical outliers in the dataset.
Sometimes the smallest details, like the size of a quarterback’s hands, can reveal something fascinating about the game.