The Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback, Diego Pavia, has been impossible to ignore in his final college season. One week, he looked like a giant-slayer, carving up SEC defenses that usually swallow quarterbacks whole. Next, his name crept into early Heisman Trophy chatter along with Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers.
What Message Did a Former Chiefs Super Bowl-Winning QB Say To Blast Diego Pavia?
Now the spotlight has shifted from his arm to a number on a roster sheet. At 5-foot-9, Pavia’s height has become the loudest debate surrounding his future. The question isn’t about production or poise anymore. It’s whether the league will see a playmaker… or just the inches he doesn’t have. And reacting to this, the former Kansas City Chiefs’ backup QB called out the critics.
The former Chiefs’ backup QB, Chase Daniel, who won Super Bowl 44, shared his thoughts on Pavia’s height and what the 23-year-old NFL Draft prospect could bring to the table going forward.
“Look, there’s been a ton of talk about Diego Pavia, 5’9″ 7/8, under 5’10”, like 5’9″, would be the shortest quarterback in the NFL since the merger, I think in the 60s,” Daniel said. “But I just don’t get it. Look, is he a polarizing figure? Sure. Is he a winner? Absolutely. This is coming from a short quarterback myself, a six-foot, barely six-foot guy that measured at the combine.”
I just don’t understand the discourse around Diego Pavia…we get so obsessed with measurable and forget the most important thing.
TAPE! Can he play? And does he have the right intangibles? pic.twitter.com/3zjctMvpf0
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) February 1, 2026
Daniel also discussed in detail how Pavia is special despite not being over six feet tall. “Look at all the quarterbacks that are short, right? How rarely are you throwing over people? I don’t get why people are so up in arms. Look, he was never going to be a first overall pick. He was never going to be a first-round pick. Why not take a waiver on him in the third round, or the fourth round, or the fifth round? He was down there in the Senior Bowl and was the best quarterback in the Senior Bowl.”
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NFL quarterbacks are usually over 6 feet tall. The shorter the quarterback, the harder it becomes to see the receivers and tight ends, and to get a pass through the massive 6’9″ defensive players. This fact was also emphasized by seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady. “I am not saying you can be successful if you are under six foot two,” Brady once said, talking about the Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, who is 6’1″. “It is just that the chance of being successful is less.”
But what if Pavia doesn’t get a chance to start for the NFL team or be a franchise QB in the NFl because of his height? Former New Orleans Saints QB Daniel gave an answer to this question.
Daniel added, “There’s a lot of backup-type guys. Why can’t he have a career like me? 14 years as a backup, right?” And does the Super Bowl champ think so?
He said he does not understand why so many people are focused on criticizing the player’s height when the film shows something entirely different. According to the former Chiefs QB, what the quarterback puts on the field should carry more weight than pre-draft measurements or physical checkboxes. He acknowledged that traits like arm ability matter and that some evaluators care about size, but stressed that those factors are not what ultimately define success at the position.
But what Pavia has said about all the noise? Is it bothering the 2026 NFL Draft prospect? Let’s dive in to know what the former Vanderbilt QB said about his height and Critics.
2026 NFL Draft Prospect Pavia Breaks Silence on the Criticism Over His Height
“God blessed me with 5-9 and 7/8,” Pavia said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I want to show every team that whoever I’m blessed enough to go to, you’re going to get someone who’s a winner. I’ve been blessed enough to never have a losing season of football ever in my life, and I don’t plan on it ever happening.
“That’s what you’re going to get out of me. You’re going to get someone who’s great in the locker room, great with the teammates and who’s going to push the team and make sure that we are winning. I think that’s what the ultimate competitor does,” he added.
Pavia’s collegiate career covers three stops and six seasons of production. He began at New Mexico Military Institute (2020–21), where he threw for 2,644 yards and 31 TDs and rushed for 1,107 yards and 15 scores in JUCO ball. He then transferred to New Mexico State (2022–23), passing for 1,450 yards with 13 TDs in 2022 and 2,973 yards with 26 TDs in 2023, while adding significant rushing yardage in both seasons. At Vanderbilt (2024–25), Pavia threw for 2,293 yards and 20 TDs in 2024, which was followed by the 2025 college football season.
Pavia delivered an exceptional 2025 season at Vanderbilt, where he passed for 3,192 yards and 27 touchdowns while also piling up 826 rushing yards and nine more scores. His all-around production stood out nationally, as he was the only FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) player to surpass 4,000 total yards during the 2025 season.
Pavia has built a strong resume that positions him as a legitimate candidate to hear his name called by an NFL team, likely in the later rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.
