Means he has better control of the ball during inclement weather, which Seahawks Russell Wilson and Denver Broncos Peyton Manning both possess.
When the weather is bad, big gloves are key for quarterbacks to successfully throw. Wilson is 5 feet 11 and his hands that are 10 1/4 inches are bigger than the average male span of 7.4 inches. Former Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn believes Wilson’s hands are a gift from God.
“Russell Wilson’s hands are a God thing—something you couldn’t even design,” said Jim Zorn, the former Seahawks quarterback who is between coaching jobs.
According to Atlanta Falcons’ GM in a WSJ article, studies show that ball control in cold outdoor games, everything from fumbles to interceptions, are determined by the size of the quarterback’s hands.
The league is starting to move away from quarterbacks with small hands and focus on ones with big hands.
Obviously the Seahawks kept that in mind during the draft. Seattle’s general manager publicly stated that hand size was a determining factor in selecting Wilson in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
However, quarterbacks with long fingers or ones who wear gloves like Manning are able to control their throw too.
Zorn said Manning’s newfound ability to play with gloves further neutralizes the weather. Fisch, meanwhile, said there is a direct correlation between big hands and a quick, smooth release that gets the ball out in a matter of tenths of seconds in inclement weather. Larger-handed quarterbacks, he said, are likelier to touch part of the laces and, without looking, adjust their grip and quickly get off a throw.
“According to Pro Football Focus, Manning takes a league-shortest of 2.36 to throw the ball, while Wilson takes a league-longest 3.18 seconds.”
As you can see, no matter how the weather is, biologically and statistically both quarterbacks should not have any problems from a throwing standpoint. Get ready for a good Super Bowl!
[WSJ]