Why Quarterbacks’ Brains Might Be the NFL’s Best Kept Secret

When you think of an NFL quarterback, what comes to mind? Arm strength. Size. Pocket presence. Maybe even “intangibles.”

But what about how fast they think?

A study published in Frontiers in Psychology looked at just that — how cognitive abilities measured by the Athletic Intelligence Quotient (AIQ) line up with real NFL performance. And the results show that what’s happening inside a QB’s head can be just as important as what’s happening with their arm.

What the Study Looked At

Researchers tested 42 NFL quarterbacks using the AIQ, which measures four key areas of cognitive ability:

• Reaction Time – how quickly you process and respond to information

• Visual Spatial Processing – how well you see and interpret the field

• Decision Making – your ability to weigh options and make the right call

• Learning Efficiency – how fast you pick up and apply new information

Then they compared those scores with a wide range of QB performance stats: career value, QB rating, passing yards per game, and even advanced Pro Football Focus metrics like Big Time Throws and Turnover Worthy Plays.

The big question: After controlling for draft pick — essentially, how highly a QB was valued coming into the league — do these cognitive skills still matter?

Spoiler alert: yes, they do.

Key Findings

Reaction Time = More Starts, More Accuracy, More Value

QBs with quicker reaction times weren’t just sharper on paper — they started more games, posted higher QB ratings, and had better career value. They also threw more accurately.

In fact, reaction time alone explained an extra 6–13% of performance outcomes on top of what draft position predicted. That’s huge in a league where small margins decide careers.

Visual Spatial Processing = Passing Production (When Used Well)

Quarterbacks with stronger visual spatial skills — basically, how well they “see the field” — tended to rack up more passing yards per game.

But here’s where it gets interesting: when combined with good decision making, those spatial skills boosted accuracy. Without strong decision making, though, all that “vision” sometimes led to riskier throws and more turnovers.

In other words: seeing the play is only half the battle — choosing wisely is the other half.

Decision Making × Spatial Ability = The Winning Combo

The study found a clear synergy: QBs who scored high in both decision making and spatial ability threw with up to 6% more accuracy than those with average scores.

But if a QB had strong spatial ability without equally strong decision making? That actually led to more “turnover worthy” plays.

Lesson: Vision without judgment can get you in trouble.

Learning Efficiency = Not a Factor (This Time)

Interestingly, learning efficiency didn’t show much predictive power in this group of NFL QBs. The researchers think that at this level, where everyone has already shown the ability to learn playbooks and adapt, there may not be enough variability for the data to pop.

That doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter elsewhere — just that in this sample, other skills carried the weight.

Why This Matters for Teams

What can coaches, GMs, and scouts take away from this?

1. Brains add value beyond the draft board. Even after accounting for draft position, cognitive skills still explained performance. That means AIQ is giving you new info, not just confirming what you already know.

2. Reaction speed matters. QBs who process faster play faster, last longer, and deliver more accurately.

3. It’s about combinations, not just single scores. The interplay between spatial vision and decision making shows why looking at profiles — not just isolated traits — matters.

4. Marginal gains = major wins. Adding 6–13% predictive power may sound small, but in a league decided by inches and seconds, it’s often the difference between a playoff run and an early offseason.

For teams, the message is simple: don’t just measure what players do — measure how they think.

Cognitive data doesn’t replace physical metrics or film study. It complements them. It fills in the gaps that traditional scouting can’t fully explain.

And for quarterbacks — the NFL’s ultimate decision-makers — those cognitive advantages can translate into real wins on the field.

Want to learn how AIQ can help you evaluate and develop talent more effectively?
Let’s talk about how you can bring cognitive data into your scouting and player development process.