Shortest NFL Quarterbacks of All Time

Outside of basketball, few positions in sports put more of a premium on height than the quarterback. 

When it comes to signal callers, the common thinking is the taller you are, the better you are going to be able to see the entire field. The average NFL quarterback in 2021 was around 6-foot-3, and it’s uncommon for quarterbacks to be under 6-foot-2. 

However, in the history of the NFL, there have been some shorter quarterbacks who have dominated the game and made indelible legacies in the game. Here’s a look at the shortest quarterbacks in NFL history, ranked by height and skills — all of whom were 6 feet or shorter. 

Height: 6-foot

Career highlights: AP All-American (2015), Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year (2014), Kellen Moore Award (2014),  All-Big 12 (2014)

Trevone Boykin starts off our list, tied with several others at 6-feet tall. He was an All-American at TCU and only played two seasons in the NFL as a backup for the Seattle Seahawks in 2016 and 2017. 

Bokyin probably would’ve played much longer in the NFL had he been able to stay out of trouble. An arrest while playing for TCU just days before the Alamo Bowl his senior season likely cost him his spot in the NFL Draft, and he made the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent. Arrests one month apart in Dallas in 2017 and another arrest in March 2018 after it was revealed he broke his ex-girlfriend’s jaw with a punch led to his release from the Seahawks. 

Height: 6-foot

Career highlights: Heisman Trophy (2012), Davey O’Brien Award (2012), AP Player of the Year (2012), SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2012), AP All-American (2012), two-time All-SEC (2012, 2013)

Johnny Manziel was one of the most exciting college quarterbacks in recent memory — the Texas A&M star became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy following the 2012 season. 

Manziel wasn’t long for college. He spent just two seasons with the Aggies before making the leap to the NFL, and the Cleveland Browns selected him with the No. 22 overall pick of the first round in the 2014 NFL Draft. Manziel was the shortest quarterback selected in the first round to that point, but drug and alcohol issues ended his NFL career after two seasons.