NFL teams don’t use game-day roster flexibility with emergency QBs as often as one would think

By Canadian Press on September 16, 2025.

DALLAS (AP) — Brian Schottenheimer is two games into his head coaching career with the Dallas Cowboys, and he didn’t have an emergency quarterback designated for either one.

This after a year as Dallas offensive coordinator when the Cowboys had Trey Lance available as a third quarterback every week because they wanted to protect him from waivers.

The NFL is into its third season since the return of an old rule that essentially allows a free roster spot on game day with the emergency designation on a quarterback. Yet, the provision has been utilized by less than half the teams through the first two years.

The Cleveland Browns are among those to use it this season. They have four quarterbacks on the roster, and Shedeur Sanders has been the emergency third QB each of the first two games.

Only once has “3QB” — the designation on official NFL game reports — actually played, and it involved the Browns last year. Jameis Winston followed Deshaun Watson, who was injured, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who was pulled in the fourth quarter after his second interception in a 21-14 loss to Cincinnati.

“I go back and forth,” Schottenheimer said. “Literally, you asked the question, so my mind is processing. It would be great to have three guys active just in case. But they certainly have done the studies and know kind of what they’re looking for. We’re all dealt the same cards, and you decide how you want to use your roster.”

Will Grier has the spot Lance occupied last season, but is on the practice squad rather than the 53-man active roster.

During the the Cowboys’ wild 40-37 overtime win against the New York Giants on Sunday, Grier was unavailable behind Dak Prescott and Joe Milton.

About this time last season, roughly half of the NFL’s 32 teams had a third quarterback on the active roster. The percentage is about the same now. Game day rosters are smaller, usually 48 players.

The teams that don’t have a third QB on the active roster have at least one on the practice squad. Just before the season started, Detroit was the only team without a third quarterback, but the Lions signed C.J. Beathard to the practice squad.

The teams without a third QB on the active roster have prioritized other positions over something that could be viewed as a luxury.

“I think it’s a freebie (on game day), but it’s still tough because of the numbers,” Grier said. “I think it just comes down to the teams with the numbers and the ability to do that.”

Numbers make it tough for third quarterbacks in another way. Since practice reps are so important for the starter, and the backup to a lesser degree, the rest of the QBs are largely left on their own to try to develop.

“In my opinion, nonexistent,” Grier said when asked what he thought of quarterback development in the NFL.

Trevor Siemian, the 33-year-old QB3 on Tennessee’s practice squad, wouldn’t argue.

“I think just the onus is on you,” said Siemian, a seventh-round pick out of Northwestern who started 24 games over his second and third seasons with Denver, the team that drafted him but moved on after three years. “This is pro sport. There’s not much hand-holding in this league. And if there is, it doesn’t last very long.”

Titans quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree described a post-practice scene in which the QBs behind rookie starter Cam Ward would go back through that day’s script on reps they didn’t get.

Schottenheimer said the Cowboys do something similar, with quarterbacks coach Steve Shimko having Milton and Grier mirror any throw Prescott made in practice.

“So they’re getting their throws,” Schottenheimer said. “They’re getting their footwork. It’s not perfect, but they are getting the work and the throws that they need.”

The NFL had the emergency QB rule from 1991-2010 and brought it back in 2023. The rule’s return was prompted by the NFC championship game the previous season.

Brock Purdy badly injured his elbow on San Francisco’s first possession in a 31-7 loss to Philadelphia, and backup Josh Johnson exited with a concussion early in the second half. Purdy returned, but basically couldn’t throw. He had two short completions. The 49ers had 47 yards in the second half and 164 for the game.

“That probably shifted a lot of focus just because of the prominent moment that that was,” said New Orleans coach Kellen Moore, a former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. “I think it’s a luxury and when it’s available to us, certainly we want to utilize it as much as you can just because it gives you the insurance policy that you need.”

With Lance having moved on to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency — where the 2021 No. 3 overall pick is the backup to Justin Herbert — Schottenheimer said the Cowboys have emergency plans for a third QB when Grier is inactive. He didn’t want to reveal specifics.

It’s safe to say the same is true for the other teams that don’t have an emergency QB3 on game day.

The league tried to loosen the rules to make it easier for third QBs to be brought up from the practice squad on game day, but the union rejected the proposal on the grounds that teams would try to stash players on the practice squad, relegating most of them to that pay scale.

Teams can bring up quarterbacks from the practice squad on game day, but they must be part of the active roster. Emergency QBs technically aren’t active.

The missing third QB also was an issue during the pandemic-altered 2020 season when practice squad receiver Kendall Hinton started for Denver in a 31-3 loss to New Orleans. All four of the Broncos’ quarterbacks couldn’t play due to COVID-19 protocols.

“I think you guys have seen the disasters of what could happen,” Hardegree said. “Obviously it hurts the game, hurts the fans. You’re having to go to somebody that doesn’t play quarterback for a living if you don’t have one available.”

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AP Pro Football Writers Dave Campbell, Josh Dubow and Teresa M. Walker and AP Sports Writers David Brandt, Larry Lage, Brett Martel and Steve Megargee contributed.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Schuyler Dixon, The Associated Press

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