Who Can Throw The Football The Farthest In The NFL?

Longest throw in NFL history in the air is 70.5 yards failed hail mary by Baker Mayfield in December 2020 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Unfortunately, the most impressive pass was incomplete as he overthrew the end zone, meaning his efforts didn't reward in a touchdown.

The Browns lost a close game to the Ravens, despite Mayfield's 343 yards and three scores through the air.

American football quarterback, Mayfield currently plays for Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was selected first overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2018 NFL Draft and played 3 seasons with them.

Before NFL, he played college football at the University of Oklahoma, where he was awarded the Heisman Trophy as a senior in 2017.

Longest Pass In NFL History

Longest pass in NFL history in the air that was recorded as complete is 99 yards by Eli Manning and Victor Cruz in 2011.

Similarly, Frank Filchock threw the first 99-yard touchdown pass in NFL history, in a game against Pittsburgh Pirates on October 15, 1939.

There have been thirteen 99 yards passing touchdowns, out of which the Washington Commanders have done it three times. They were the first to achieve it in 1939.

The following list shows the 99-yard touchdown passes during an NFL game:

• New York Giants vs New York Jets - Eli Manning in 2011
• New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins - Tom Brady in 2011
• Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears - Gus Frerotte in 2008
• Cleveland Browns vs Cincinnati Bengals - Jeff Garcia in 2004
• Kansas City Chiefs vs San Diego Chargers - Trent Green in 2002
• Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears - Brett Favre in 1995
• San Diego Chargers vs Seattle Seahawks - Stan Humphries in 1994
• Philadelphia Eagles vs Atlanta Falcons - Ron Jaworski in 1985
• Los Angeles Raiders vs Washington Redskins - Jim Plunkett in 1983
• Washington Redskins vs Chicago Bears - Sonny Jurgensen in 1968

NFL quarterbacks throw at a speed ranging from 59 mph to 62 mph. Fastest throw by a QB is 69 mph by Zach Wilson at the Jets training camp.

The fastest throw at NFL combine was clocked at 62 mph by Josh Allen and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Allen set the record in 2018. Patrick Mahomes had a throw speed of 60 mph at the NFL combine.

Baker Mayfield had a speed of 60 mph. It had been a long time since a QB had thrown a ball at the speed of 60. Before that, Virginia Tech's Logan Thomas in 2014 and Southeast Louisiana's Brian Bennett in 2015 were thrown at 60.

Miami Hurricanes Stephen Morris threw at 59 mph, and Pittsburgh Panthers Tom Savage had a fast throw at 57 mph.

Some quarterback players have a higher record, but since they didn't throw at the combine, they have no official record.

Some notable fastest-throw performances are:

1. Colin Kaepernick - 59 mph, 2011
2. Brandon Weeden - 59 mph, 2012
3. Russell Wilson - 55 mph, 2011
4. E.J. Manuel - 54 mph, 2013
5. Joe Flacco - 55 mph, 2008

How Far Can NFL Quarterbacks Throw?

Farthest throw in NFL history was a 76-yard throw by Randall Cunningham during the 1993 NFL quarterback challenge.

His arm strength is remarkable and rare. Cunningham threw around 30,000 yards with 207 touchdowns.

The average NFL quarterback players can throw a football around 50-60 yards, but this can vary greatly relying on factors like the individual's power, technique, and the situation of the game.

NFL quarterbacks are expected to make throws of approximately 60 yards with accuracy and some of the quarterbacks with the strongest arms can throw more than 75 yards.

Patrick Mahomes claims that he can throw a football around 80 yards in an interview in 2020 while Allen previously asserted he could throw nearly 75-80 yards during a game.

"I think I can get it anywhere up from 80-83 yards. Anything in that range, 75-83, is where I could throw in a throw-off."

Patrick Mahomes can throw the football 60 miles per hour on average. His fastest football throw was recorded at around 62 mph.

He set a new NFL draft record with 60 miles per hour on the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and also recorded the highest mark on the vertical jump and 3-cone drill.

Before the NFL draft in 2017, he showed his amazing talent and competed with David Carr in a contest of throwing speed. Mahomes beat Carr in every round, showing his arm strength. His last throw was the most impressive, reaching a stunning 62 mph.

Mahomes also has a baseball background. He was a baseball star in high school before focusing on football and his father was also an MLB  pitcher for 12 years.

Mahomes claimed that he can throw a baseball at 96 mph, and even more at around 100 mph if he trained for it.

Strongest arm in NFL history is Miami Dolphins Dan Marino. Marino holds the record for all-time leader in pass attempts, touchdown passes, completions attempts, and passing yards.

Brett Favre, John Elway, Jim Hart, Terry Bradshaw, Jeff George, Doug Williams, Jim Kelly, Johnny Unitas, and Jack Kemp are recognized as quarterbacks with the strongest arms in NFL history.

In terms of current players, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has the strongest arm. He threw a 63.9-yard pass in the air against the Miami Dolphins in 2018. 

Similarly, Mahomes is also considered to have one of the strongest arms in the NFL today. He has the ability to throw the ball with incredible velocity and accuracy, and he can make difficult throws from a variety of arm angles while on the move.

Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory in 2020 and has already established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

The strongest arms currently in the NFL as per ESPN are listed below:

• Josh Allen
• Patrick Mahomes
• Justin Herbert
• Aaron Rodgers
• Matthew Stafford
• Russell Wilson
• Kyler Murray
• Derek Carr
• Dak Prescott
• Deshaun Watson

Longest fumble return in NFL history was recorded by Jack Tatum with a 104-yard return touchdown return in 1972. Previously, the record was held by George Halas.

In 1923, Halas returned a fumble for 98 yards, the longest in pro football history. His record was not broken until Tatum.

Then, in 2000, Arizona Cardinals Aeneas Williams tied the NFL record for longest fumble return with Washington. Williams's 104-yard return for a touchdown helped lift Arizona to a 1-point upset win.

Sam Hubbard's fumble return with his 98-yard play was the longest fumble recovery touchdown in postseason history.

Hubbard made a heroic play against the Ravens, returning a fumble for 98 yards and a touchdown. He ran 123.6 yards to reach the end zone, the longest distance covered by a touchdown scorer this season.