Which quarterbacks get the ball out fastest against the blitz?
Tyrod Taylor records the highest average time to throw of any NFL quarterback at 3.05 against the blitz, on 14 completions and 1 passing touchdown across 6 games.
NFL Quarterback Time to Throw Against the Blitz
Ranked by TTT · 2025 regular season| # | Player | TTT | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyrod Taylor New York Jets · #2 | 3.05 | 25 | 14 | 56.0% | 171 | 1 | 6 |
| 2 | Shedeur Sanders Cleveland Browns · #12 | 2.95 | 32 | 15 | 46.9% | 162 | 0 | 8 |
| 3 | Caleb Williams Chicago Bears · #18 | 2.89 | 128 | 73 | 57.0% | 1,093 | 8 | 17 |
| 4 | Cam Ward Tennessee Titans · #1 | 2.85 | 104 | 59 | 56.7% | 657 | 2 | 17 |
| 5 | Sam Darnold Seattle Seahawks · #14 | 2.84 | 101 | 64 | 63.4% | 1,001 | 6 | 17 |
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Open this in the Stat Explorer →Why this matters
Getting the ball out quickly against extra rushers is usually a sign of anticipation rather than panic. A quarterback who has already identified the blitz before the snap can throw on rhythm to a receiver running a pressure-beating route, turning a numbers disadvantage in protection into a non-issue before the rush ever arrives.
A fast release is not automatically the better outcome, though. Some of the quickest throws on this list are checkdowns and screens used to survive the down rather than to attack it, which means this number rewards caution and self-preservation as much as it rewards a quarterback picking apart a blitz downfield.
Compare this alongside how often a quarterback holds the ball long enough to get hit. A quick release paired with a low sack rate suggests real command of the blitz, while a quick release paired with short average depth of target suggests a quarterback getting the ball out to survive rather than to punish the extra rusher.