The NFL scouting combine brings together the next generation of potential football stars in a showcase of their strength, speed and talent.
Beginning Feb. 27, the combine will see top prospects from across the country come together in Indianapolis to perform for the scouts and NFL coaches that will decide their futures in the league.
In addition to its function for NFL front offices, the combine also helps introduce players to a wider audience of NFL fans that might not be as tuned in to the college football calendar.
It’s no surprise that the 40-yard dash is one of the most closely watched events on the combine schedule, and in the modern era of football, it’s possible that quarterback speed in more important than it has ever been in the history of the sport.
Below is a look at how quarterbacks have fared at the NFL combine over the years.
Which quarterback holds the fastest 40 time?
If we gave you three guesses, chances are you would only need one.
Michael Vick recorded the fastest time of any quarterback in the history of the combine when he participated in the event in 2001 coming out of Virginia Tech. The 4.33 time he put up was not just the fastest quarterback time ever recorded, but put him amongst some of the top times ever recorded by players at any position.
Now well beyond his playing days and into his career as an analyst, Vick still has plenty of speed. In 2021, Vick ran the 40 once again as a part of Rich Eisen’s annual “Run Rich Run” event to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Vick put up a time of 4.72 seconds, putting him on par with some of the players set to be drafted that year.
While it is a bit more common today to see players at wide receiver, running back or cornerback break the 4.3-second mark—Xavier Worthy and Nate Wiggins both went sub-4.3 seconds in 2024, and were first-round draft picks—no quarterback has done it yet, and Vick still holds the top spot on the list.
Which quarterbacks have recorded the fastest 40 times in recent years?
The fastest quarterbacks in the history of the combine includes some names you would very much expect and others you probably wouldn’t.
First, it’s important to note that many of the top quarterback prospects elect not to run the 40 at the combine, opting instead to use their pro day or skip the exercise entirely. Especially for quarterbacks expected to be taken near the top of the draft, the perception is that running could do more harm than good for their draft prospects, so why risk the potential for a disappointing showing?
Additionally, NFL.com data gets spotty some time around 2005, so some fast entries, including Vick’s record, aren’t on their online list for some reason. That said, here are the top 40-yard dash times from quarterbacks from NFL.com’s available dataset.
Who was the fastest quarterback at the 2024 combine?
While 14 quarterbacks attended the 2024 combine, just four of them took part in the 40-yard dash.
Here’s how they stacked up:
More of the Latest Around the NFL
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fastest Quarterback 40-Yard Dash Times in NFL Combine History.
