Back in the day (yes, I’m an old person) the phrase “drop a dime” meant “report to the authorities.” That’s because, back in the stone age when phones were not carried in one’s pocket, it cost a dime to use a pay phone, and stoolies dropped a dime in the pay phone to call the police to report a crime.
Lately I’ve heard NFL broadcasters use “drop a dime” when the QB makes a particularly accurate pass to a receiver. How did that come to be the phrase used? It doesn’t make any sense to me.
The expression “turn on a dime” (dime representing small size rather than money) could be used with reference to the agile maneuvers of the receiver.
Drop ON a dime is what I’ve heard.
AFAIC, dimes are accurate passes, probably related to being able to hit the smallest coin at a distance. It represents the ability to hit a small target or thread the needle. There are other possible origins, including 10 out of 10. Throwing a dime lends itself to saying “drop a dime” since that phrase is already in use.
It’s also used in the NBA (basketball in general) to represent accurate passes and assists.
In the NBA really great passes that lead to an assist on a bucket have been called “dimes” for a long time.
The NFL is simply appropriating the term for its passes.
When I played high school soccer years ago there were guys on the team who complimented my play by saying “He can pass on a dime!” Meaning I made very accurate passes.
I was known for similarly badass passing in basketball, too but I played varsity soccer and only playground b-ball.
Possibly also related to phrases like “stop on a dime” and the idea of great precision and control.