Fastest QBs in the NFL: Best 40 times by Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, & more from NFL Combine

Kyle Irving

Fastest QBs in the NFL: Best 40 times by Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, & more from NFL Combine image

Lamar Jackson showed why he's the best dual-threat quarterback in the NFL during the Ravens' AFC divisional-round win over the Texans.

Not only did Jackson throw for 152 yards and two touchdowns, but he was also the game's leading rusher with 100 yards and another two TDs on the ground. The speedster continues to set the standard for running quarterbacks in NFL history, becoming the first QB to have three playoff games with at least 100 rushing yards.

The records have been stacking up for Jackson, who is the only QB in NFL history to own multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He passed Michael Vick for the fastest quarterback to 5,000 career rushing yards earlier this year, and his 61.1 rushing yards per game are also the most all-time.

MORE: NFL Power Rankings: Conference championship edition

Is Jackson the fastest quarterback in the NFL? The Sporting News takes a closer look at some of his competitors below.

Fastest quarterbacks in the NFL

The 40-yard dash is the most traditional way to assess straightaway speed, but the NFL's "Next Gen Stats" have added another layer to the argument. Now that tracking information is available for every play, there is another database to compare every player's top speeds throughout the season.

Below you can find the fastest quarterback 40 times in NFL history, as well as the fastest QB plays during the 2023 season.

Fastest quarterback 40 times

Vick owns the fastest 40-time by a quarterback in NFL history at 4.33 seconds. Jackson would be a close second, dashing an unofficial 4.34 seconds at his Louisville Pro Day, but he never ran the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.

Colts rookie QB Anthony Richardson is the most recent name to pop up on this list, running a 4.43 at the 2023 NFL Combine. Bears star QB Justin Fields ripped off a 4.45 in 2021, while Falcons QB Desmond Ridder ran a 4.52 in 2022.

Rank Player Year 40-yard dash time
1 Michael Vick 2001 4.33 seconds
2 Reggie McNeal 2006 4.40 seconds
3 Robert Griffin III 2012 4.41 seconds
4 Anthony Richardson 2023 4.43 seconds
5 Justin Fields 2021 4.45 seconds

In case you're wondering what the other quarterbacks remaining in the 2024 NFL Playoffs ran, we have you covered below:

  • Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs: 4.80 seconds in 2017
  • Jared Goff, Lions: 4.82 seconds in 2016
  • Brock Purdy, 49ers: 4.84 seconds in 2022

MORE: Picks, predictions for conference championship games

Top 10 fastest QB plays in 2023

The NFL's "Next Gen Stats" records the 20 fastest speeds by a player during each given week. Since the top 20 varies from week to week, these results might not be perfect, but they give you an indication of who some of the quickest quarterbacks in the NFL are. (For example, Lamar Jackson's name didn't pop up in the weekly top 20 once this season, but his 4.34 40-yard dash time inevitably places him among the fastest quarterbacks in NFL history.)

Cardinals star Kyler Murray popped up in the top 20 three times this season, the most of any quarterback. Falcons' Desmond Ridder recorded the fastest speed by a quarterback, dashing at 21.56 miles per hour on a 45-yard carry back in Week 8.

Other quarterbacks like Justin Fields and Joshua Dobbs appeared on the "Next Gen Stats" list multiple times, while Saints offensive weapon Taysom Hill, who is categorized as a quarterback, also popped up twice.

Rank Player Team Top Speed (MPH) Week Play Event
1 Desmond Ridder Falcons 21.56 8 45-yard rush
2 Justin Fields Bears 20.68 12 13-yard rush
3 Taysom Hill Saints 20.64 2 19-yard rush
4 Kyler Murray Cardinals 20.41 17 6-yard rush
5 Kyler Murray Cardinals 20.31 11 22-yard rush
6 Taysom Hill Saints 20.25 18 27-yard rush
7 Kyler Murray Cardinals 20.17 10 13-yard rush
8 Joshua Dobbs Vikings 20.13 10 4-yard rush
9 Trevor Lawrence Jaguars 20.00 7 23-yard rush
10 Marcus Mariota Eagles 19.94 18 17-yard rush

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.