Let's put this myth to rest.
It's so easy to throw around terms like zip in support of an unproven bias because those are not based on measurements that can be scientifically proven.
Instead let's use the actual
scientific measurement called ball velocity.
Poster's example of a Quarterback with 'great arm strength' is Patrick Mahomes. Many would agree that Patrick Mahomes has one of the strongest arms in the NFL. But that's just based on the 'eye test' right?
Well no, there's a piece of tech called a juggs gun that can measure the speed of a ball in flight. Originally used in baseball to measure pitcher velocity, it's an equally valid method to objectively measure the speed of a football.
So how fast does Patrick Mahomes actually throw a football? What is his ball velocity?
In a publicly recorded competition in 2017, Patrick Mahomes launched the football at a recorded ball velocity of 62 mph. Pretty impressive.
In contrast, Tom Brady, he of the 'supposed' weak arm, hit a recorded ball velocity of 61 mph in 2019.
Tom Brady posted a photo on Instagram Thursday of a radar gun reading 61 mph, presumably which tracked one of his throws. The 41-year-old QB wants to let the world know his arm is just fine.
www.nfl.com
So not only has Tom Brady been among the top 5 best passers of the long ball in the past two years when counting passes of 20+ yards and 40+ yards- 2020, 2021, his 'fastball' tops out at just 1mph less than Patrick Mahomes fastest recorded ball velocity.
I am unimpressed by posters attempts to revive old myths and unscientific terms such as 'dink and dunk'. It's clear that when Tom Brady needs to rip the football, at a top speed of 61 mph, he can do so, and it's not some wobbly duck lob,
that football gets downfield in a hurry.
In terms of
combine measurements, Josh Allen leads the pack with the highest officially recorded measurement at 62 mph in 2018. Patrick Mahomes measured in at 60 mph, although we've seen in competitions that he can rip it a little faster when going for personal bests.
So do the likes of Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes have stronger arms than Tom Brady? Of course, they do, objectively speaking 62 mphs > 61 mph. But is it enough of a difference on average that one can objectively call out Tom Brady as having a 'weak arm' or being purely a 'dink and dunk' QB? No, that argument is patently and objectively ridiculous.