Size matters in the NFL.
Height, arm length, wingspan, hand size and more headline the list of measurements taken ahead of the NFL draft. In some cases, being average isn’t good enough and, in fact, it might be enough to send a prospect tumbling down the board.
While arm length is having a moment, height is still a key factor for teams looking to draft a quarterback.
Being on the shorter side might make it hard to reach the top shelf at the grocery store or make certain cabinets in the kitchen useless, but those are easily fixed with a stool – something quarterbacks don’t have the luxury of using during a game.
Look no further than Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia. While he starred on Saturdays for the Commodores, his ability to play on Sundays could come down to a measuring stick.
Pavia will hope to hear his name called at the 2026 NFL Draft in April, but his potential entrance into the NFL would also come with admission into an exclusive club. Here’s a look at the shortest quarterbacks in NFL history.
Shortest QBs in NFL history
Pard Pearce is the shortest quarterback in NFL history, standing at 5-5. He was the quarterback for the Decatur Staleys, now known as the Chicago Bears, from 1920 to 1922. Davey O’Brien, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1939-1940, measured 5-7. He is also the smallest player to ever win the Heisman Trophy.
The honor of being the shortest quarterback in NFL history is often attributed to Eddie LaBaron, who was listed at 5-9 and played 11 seasons with Washington and the Dallas Cowboys from 1952 to 1963.
That list has gotten significantly smaller since the NFL merger – with 5-10 being the shortest height of any quarterback to play a game. Only four players have achieved that feat – Doug Flutie, Joe Hamilton, Kyler Murray and Bryce Young.
Interestingly, all four of them are the same height and two of them, Murray and Young, are active quarterbacks. Perhaps it’s a sign that the league cares less about height than it used to, but the odds still aren’t in favor of the vertically challenged when it comes to playing quarterback in the NFL.
How tall is Diego Pavia?
Pavia was officially listed by Vanderbilt at 6-0, but measurements at the Senior Bowl put the Vanderbilt quarterback at about 5-9 7/8 inches.