With the NFL changing, being an athletic quarterback has become more important today. Some of the biggest names in the game today can all extend and make plays with their feet. Being able to make plays with your feet is not the end all be all, but it certainly helps.

In this article, we’ll break down the top five fastest NFL quarterbacks of all time based on their 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine.

5: Justin Fields, 2021 – 4.45 seconds

If you have watched Justin Fields throughout his football career, you know he was fast. Coming out of Ohio State University, Fields ran a whopping 4.45 40-yard dash, ranking fourth-best for quarterbacks ever. 

That helped him get drafted by the Chicago Bears with the 11th overall pick of the NFL Draft. Throughout his career in Chicago, Fields was able to make many plays with his legs, which ended up being his calling card. Unfortunately for Fields and the Bears, it didn’t work out for multiple reasons as Fields moved on to the Pittsburgh Steelers as he tries to revamp his career.

4: Anthony Richardson, 2023 – 4.43 seconds 

Anthony Richardson came out of Florida University as an athletic specimen who played quarterback. He came in at 6’ 4”, 240+ pounds and ran a whopping 4.43 seconds, making him the largest quarterback to run a 40-yard dash that fast in NFL history.

Richardson is an athletic monster, which helped him get drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. The jury is still out on him and whether he will be able to have a long-term NFL career after his season ended just four games into due to a shoulder injury.

3: Robert Griffin III, 2012 – 4.41 seconds

Robert Griffin had a terrific college career before running a 4.41 at the NFL Combine and becoming the second overall pick. In his final season in college, he won the AP Player of the Year Award, Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Davey O’Brien Award, Heisman Trophy, and Manning Award.

His NFL career started great as he won the 2012 NFL AP Rookie of the Year Award. Unfortunately, that was short-lived, as he only played in 20 games the next two seasons after dealing with knee injuries. He was never quite the same player and retired after the 2020 season.

2: Reggie McNeal, 2006 – 4.40 seconds

Reggie McNeal has the second-fastest 40-yard dash on record for quarterbacks. He was a very good college player and threw for just under 7,000 yards and 44 touchdowns and ran for just under 1,900 yards and 15 touchdowns in his four-year career. 

The Cincinnati Bengals took a chance on him in the sixth round. However, he is the only player on this list who had to change positions once being drafted into the NFL as he became a wide receiver. His only snap in the NFL came as a Bengals quarterback when he scrambled for an eight-yard gain.

1: Michael Vick, 2001: 4.33 seconds

Michael Vick had the best career out of all the players on this list, but it was filled with multiple ups and downs. Before his NFL career began, he broke the NFL combine record for quarterbacks, running a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash in 2001, and that record still stands today.

During his NFL career, Michael Vick was one of the most polarizing players at the quarterback position. The plays he could make with his legs nobody had ever seen before from an NFL quarterback. Unfortunately, after the 2006 season, Micahel Vick had some off-the-field issues, which caused him to be suspended from the NFL in August 2007 and derailed his career.

He was able to come back during the 2009 season as the backup quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played four seasons with them, showing flashes of his greatness from time to time. He led them to the playoffs and then finished his last two seasons with the Jets and Steelers. We were left wanting more from Michael Vick’s career, but at least he is still in the record books for being the fastest QB of all time.