Russell Wilson and four other starting NFL QBs who are under six feet tall and still found success
Russell Wilson experienced a lot of doubt as he pursued an NFL career. As with other quarterbacks who are under six feet tall, scouts and analysts may have concerns over whether the athlete's height would hinder his progress.
Wilson has created his own success throughout his now 11-year career. The Super Bowl champion is listed at 5'11". Some people feel that shorter quarterbacks are not able to see downfield past their offensive line. Or that they will not be able to get the ball high enough in the air for taller wide receivers.
For Wilson, that has never been an issue and his ability to make plays happen with both his arms and legs have garnered him success in the NFL.
With his success comes the confidence that other quarterbacks, who may not measure at over six feet, can still find success in the NFL. So, let's take a look at four other quarterbacks who have managed to make a mark in the league despite measuring less than six feet.
Kyler Murray
Arizona Cardinals' Kyler Murray is currently the shortest starting quarterback in the NFL. Murray, who is 5'10", was drafted with the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and won the Heisman Trophy while playing at Oklahoma.
In his four seasons in the NFL, Murray has thrown for over 13,000 passing yards and over 2,000 rushing yards. He has also been named to two NFL Pro Bowl games in the first three years of his career.
Murray signed a five-year contract extension this past summer worth $230.5 million, with $160 million guaranteed.
PJ Walker
Carolina Panthers' newly-named starting quarterback PJ Walker is 5'11". He has had a somewhat different journey to earning a starting job in the NFL, compared to Russell Wilson and others.
Walker played college football at Temple for former Panthers' head coach Matt Rhule. He went undrafted and signed with the Indianapolis Colts as a free agent in 2017.
Between 2017 and 2019, he was waived and then signed to the Colts' practice squad several times. He was then drafted by the XFL's Houston Roughnecks in 2019. He and the Roughnecks were 5-0 before the season was abruptly canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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He then signed with Rhule and the Panthers just a few weeks later. Walker started just one game each in 2020 and 2021 seasons due to the other quarterback's injuries.
He has made two starts so far this season after the Panthers were plagued with injuries. A win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons has Walker appearing to be the starter for the remainder of the season.
Drew Brees
Before Russell Wilson was the talk of shorter quarterbacks, it was Drew Brees that everyone was talking about. Although he retired last season, the former New Orleans Saints quarterback is one of the most notable to measure in at under six feet tall.
Most passing yards in #NFL history:
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Brees' height has always been a topic of conversation. While the Saints technically listed him at six feet tall on their roster, next to other NFL players who were six feet tall, Brees was visibly shorter.
Some speculated that he was actually about 5'10", maybe 5'11". But his height clearly didn't play a factor in his success as an NFL quarterback.
Like Russell Wilson, he too has won a Lombardi Trophy. He is also in the top three of career passing yards in the league with over 80,000 during his 20-year NFL career.
Doug Flutie
Boston College standout quarterback Doug Flutie was a journeyman in the NFL from 1986 until 2004. Unlike Russell Wilson and Drew Brees, he played for five NFL teams throughout his career and never won a Lombardi Trophy.
Flutie stands at 5'10", and spent seven seasons in the Canadian Football League in the early to mid-1990s. That's where he found success and won three Grey Cups and three Grey Cup MVP awards.