How far, hypothetically could the average NFL quarterback throw a football?

Question

Assume ideal conditions, also what's the longest caught pass, NFL or college football?

Answer 1

Flat footed, a pro quarterback can toss a ball 60 yards.
I know a player that can throw it 100...endzone to end zone.
But distance isn't what makes a QB desireable; it's ability, on field poise, and how he utilizes his assets.

Answer 2

an average NFL quarterback would be expected to at least be able to chuck the rock 50 yards at the very least. the upper echelon of quarterbacks that have extremely strong arms (i.e. Mike Vick, Byron Leftwich, Peyton Manning) could probably throw the ball up to, im guessing, 75-80 yards. Leftwich was once seen throwing a football between the goal posts 50 yards out, 1/2 or 2/3's of the way up the goal posts. the longest caught pass has never been noted, college or NFL. pass and catch in the NFL, 99 yards of course, 10 times that's happened.

Answer 3

every year during the pro bowl they test this. all it is is throwing for distance, if you add accuracy into the equation then the distance is much less. but the average every year at the pro bowl celebration is 80 yards+. in an actual game situation most are lucky if they can throw a ball 60 yards in the air. now on the longest pass that is a tricky question. technically speaking the distance of a completed pass is the total distance from the line of scrimmage to the point at which the play ends. meaning that the qb can throw the ball then yards and the WR then adds another 75 onto that with his feet, it is considered an 85 yard completion. the longest play i have ever seen though, meaning the longest distance i have ever seen a ball travel in a real game situation was brett favre's first or second pass play. the packers were on their own 20, brett Favre came into the game after the starter had been injured. he takes the snap he is under immediate pressure, and he rolls out right, hes looking for any one, he has a man all the way on the left side of the field with about five yards between him and the CB, Favre lets the ball fly as runs out of bounds, and 80 yards down the field and all the way on the other side of the field, the ball falls into the WRs hands as he crosses the gole line, it was the moment that guaranteed Brett to be the starter in Green Bay for some time to come, and the shear arm strength it took to make that throw boggles my mind. the actual distance was something like 110 yards in the air. perfect spiral and perfectly on target.

Answer 4

An average armed quarterback can throw about 50-60 yards. A Brett Favre, Marino type quarterback that can sling far can through about 65-70 yds on a good throw I'd say.

Answer 5

Like most people have been saying, most can get it down about 50-60 yards. Of course, you have to balance arm strength with accuracy - I'm sure a lot of QBs could just heave it up, but its not going to do any good if the ball is 10 yards wide right of your open man.

I remember back in the day when Jay Schroeder was the QB for the Raiders, he lobbed 75 yarder to win the QB long throw competition at the Pro Bowl I think....no one was calling him a fantastic QB, though.

I think they still do all the position drill competitions during Pro Bowl week, dont they? Watch the coverage this weekend, I'm sure ESPN will show you all the position competitions and you can see just how many megawatts are in Peyton's laser rocket arm....

Answer 6

I would have to say that the average is close to 60 yards, but I think slightly under at about 58 yards would be the average with the combination of some cannon armed qbs and noodle armed qbs that are in the NFl. The Longest pass that I can recall was from Brett Favre who has always had a wicked arm and one of the strongest arms in the league, threw a pass 80 yards early in his career for the PAckers. I remember watching the highlights. He was back up at his own goalling and launced the ball to Antonio Freeman I think who "caught" the ball at about the other teams 20 yard line.

Answer 7

All QB's in the NFL can throw 50+ yards. About half can throw 60 or more, and about a quarter can throw 70 or more. Only a couple could throw 80 yards.

Answer 8

At the QB competitions (not the pro-bowl, they do accuracy & throw on the run @ the PB ----although I havn't seen a QB comp. since the end of the 2004 season, so I don't know if they do it anymore) they usually ranged from 55-75 (with the 75s being rare, usually by Carson Palmer and Byron Leftwitch, and that was rare for them, usually getting ~65 --------85 is NOT the average, and 110yds in the air would mean throwing from the VERY back of your endzone and having it land at the line on the other endzone --and being @ the back of yours would mean you'd probably have to be ove the line anyway---and yardage into the other endzone doesn't count)

Answer 9

The statistic is in the NFL record book. The longest pass in the air (not counting the run) was 83 yards thrown by Don Meridith to Bob Hayes. The longest pass and run is 99 yards. That record is shared by 10 pairs of QB/WR.

Answer 10

well alot can only throw about 45 yards but a good qb can throw about 55-65 yards