In the NFL, the most common and widely accepted metric is
Time to Throw (TTT), which measures only how long it takes a quarterback to release the ball on
pass attempts.
Why "Time to Throw" is the Standard
NFL analytics (specifically
Next Gen Stats and
PFF) focus on pass attempts because they reveal a quarterback’s processing speed, pocket presence, and the offensive scheme's complexity.
- Definition: The average time from the snap to the release of the football on a pass (excluding sacks and scrambles).
- Averages: The league average is typically around 2.7 to 2.8 seconds.
- The "Handoff" Metric: There is no standard aggregate metric that combines passing and handoffs. Handoffs are usually tracked separately as Time to Line of Scrimmage (for the runner) or as part of a "Snap-to-Handoff" timing used internally by teams to evaluate the speed of a rushing play.
I noticed you said his average was about 2.8 the best that we know, so that is average for an NFL quarterback?
Actually, a 2.89s average is considered slow for both the NFL and college levels.
While the NFL average is roughly 2.75s, context matters. Elite NFL "quick-game" passers (like Tua Tagovailoa) release the ball in 2.2s to 2.4s. Quarterbacks who hover around 2.9s or higher are typically mobile "extenders" like Justin Fields or Jalen Hurts, who use the extra time to scramble or wait for deep shots.
For Raiola, holding the ball for 2.89s—especially on short-yardage concepts—put him near the bottom of the rankings (108th) because he was taking "NFL time" to process "College-speed" open windows.