Tom Brady’s hands measure 9.38 inches, this hand size is more or less average for someone at Tom Brady’s height which is six feet and four inches tall.
When it comes to NFL quarterbacks this hand size is not very large. Some of the largest hand sizes by NFL quarterbacks include Ryan Fitzpatrick and Dak Prescott.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is six feet two inches tall yet his hand size is 10.75 inches almost a full inch larger than Brady’s. Dak Prescott is also six feet two inches tall and his hand size is 10.88 inches.
These players are not at all average in terms of hand size but it is worth noting that a few shorter quarterbacks in the NFL have noticeably larger hands than Tom Brady himself.
How Do They Measure Hands In The NFL?
The process of measuring hands at the NFL combine is quite straightforward. The player will outstretch their hands and the measurement will be taken from the tip of the pinky to the tip of the thumb.
This measurement of hand size is done to almost every player at the combine.
Why Does Quarterback Hand Size Matter?
Hand size is an important factor in predicting a quarterback’s success but why is that the case? Each NFL combine quarterback will all have their hand size measured in the lead-up to the draft.
These hand measurements are used as a key variable to determine a quarterback’s physical tools. But what exactly does hand size affect in the game of football?
Throwing The Ball In Inclement Weather
One reason that NFL teams put so much importance into hand size for quarterbacks is due to inclement weather. When playing a rainy or snowy game the football is often going to be wet.
The belief is that quarterbacks with larger hands will have a better ability to make throws in these situations.
With smaller hands, quarterbacks are going to have to rely on the tackiness of the ball to get a better grip.
With larger hands, quarterbacks are expected to wrap their hands around the ball and hold it in their grasp. In theory, this means these larger-handed quarterbacks will be able to hold and throw wet footballs more effectively.
Traditional Prototype
Another reason teams prefer to have quarterbacks with large hands is because of the historical prototype for a quarterback.
Looking back at the history of football teams are able to determine which attributes quarterbacks in the NFL tend to have.
One of those attributes is large hands, if you look around the league’s starting quarterbacks you will find many of them have large hands.
Using this data teams will form a cutoff point of what they believe to be an acceptable hand size for a quarterback. If a quarterback has smaller hands than the starting quarterbacks around the NFL this can be cause for concern.
