The Raiders are carrying twice as many quarterbacks as the Browns, Cowboys, Dolphins, Lions, Packers and Rams. The allocation is fairly significant given the hardened 80-man cap on roster sizes. In the past, NFL Europe exemptions made it easier for teams to carry extra players.
Teams seeking that type of flexibility have a couple of fleeting options involving unsigned players. Most draft choices remain unsigned. One restricted free agent (Chris Canty, Dallas) remains unsigned. A handful of exclusive-rights free agents remain unsigned. These players do not count against the 80-man limits while they remain unsigned, allowing their teams to carry extra players in their spots, at least for now.
The chart shows how many quarterbacks each team is carrying, counting unsigned draft choices. Tampa Bay's total does not include Jake Plummer, whose rights remain with the Bucs even though he has retired. Baltimore's total does not include the retiring Steve McNair, who remains on the roster.
Most teams keep three quarterbacks on their initial 53-man rosters. More teams than usual went with only two quarterbacks heading into last season. But some of them added quarterbacks along the way. Dallas, Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Tennessee were the only teams with fewer than three quarterbacks on their rosters when the Super Bowl was played.
Teams that lose starting quarterbacks during the upcoming season will have a hard time finding appealing alternatives on the street.
The current crop of unrestricted free agents at the position goes seven deep: Vinny Testaverde, Daunte Culpepper, Tim Hasselbeck, Tim Rattay, Jamie Martin, Craig Nall and Chris Weinke. Trent Dilfer, Byron Leftwich and Kelly Holcomb are also out there. Jay Fiedler hasn't started a game since 2004.
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