What Is Patrick Mahomes’ Wonderlic Score? How Does It Fare in Comparison to the Best Scoring QB in NFL?

NFL athletes are renowned for their remarkable speed and dynamism. Traditionally, as part of the pre-draft process, players undertook the Wonderlic Test. However, the NFL has decided to discontinue this practice to enable teams to more effectively assess their prospects. But what is the Wonderlic Test?

It comprises 50 questions to be answered within 12 minutes. The test is “supposed” to measure cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills. Despite this, it’s often been a subject of scrutiny during the NFL Combine. That’s because it lacked a tangible correlation with on-field performance. Additionally, the test scores did not consistently predict professional success. Numerous high-scoring individuals had underwhelming careers, while some lower scorers achieved notable success. One of the best examples of this is Patrick Mahomes.

Patrick Mahomes is an “average” QB

Patrick Mahomes scored a measly 24 on the test. But who can argue that he has left indelible marks on the game? He has not only raked up a stellar 28,424 passing yards but also spearheaded his team to Super Bowl glory. Mahomes has clinched the Super Bowl MVP title thrice now.

Then there is Brett Favre. He scored a low 22. But he has won the NFL MVP title thrice! On the flip side, there are high scorers like Fitzpatrick, Cousins, and Stafford. However, their impressive Wonderlic achievements haven’t translated into being hailed as top-tier QBs. They’re more “average” performance-wise. So, one really can’t say who’ll be a great QB based on this test alone.

But if Mahomes was just an average QB according to the Wonderlic Test, who was the best?

Who scored the most on the Wonderlic Test?

Pat McInally is the only player to have scored a perfect score of 50. He is a Harvard grad who mostly played as a punter. He’s also dabbled as a wide receiver. And throughout his career, he has nabbed five touchdowns!

Ryan Fitzpatrick happens to be the QB who scored the most on the test ever. He’s actually also a Harvard product who scored a 48! That’s just 2 points away from a possible perfect score of 50. But he’s not turned out to be the great QB as predicted by his score. At least, he isn’t on the same level as Mahomes and has played for 9 different teams, over 17 seasons.

As mentioned before, the test is surely not a marker of greatness. Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, had scored 28, while legendary player Dan Marino, who won the SB with the Dolphins, scored 15. Even in recent times, CJ Stroud, the rookie QB with a QBR of 100.8, scored poorly. However, he dismissed it by saying, “I’m a football player not a test taker.”

Owing to these observations, the test was done away with in 2022. Do you think the NFL should come up with cognitive tests that could predict how a player would fare in the future?

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