Four NFL Teams Keep 4 Quarterbacks on Initial 53-Man Rosters

3 articles · Updated · NFL.com · Aug 31

Four NFL teams — the Falcons, Vikings, Eagles and Steelers — emerged from cutdown day with four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man rosters, turning what looked like a Pittsburgh outlier into a broader roster trend.
53-man flexibility and expanded practice-squad call-ups helped drive the decisions, reducing the old need to reserve those spots for special-teamers or thinner position groups.
Atlanta kept Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. without naming a Week 1 starter, while Minnesota's four-man group could still lead to a trade involving J.J. McCarthy.
Philadelphia's move suggested neither Andy Dalton nor Tanner McKee locked down the No. 2 job behind Jalen Hurts, and Pittsburgh stuck with its long-expected four-QB plan after strong early preseason flashes from Will Howard and Drew Allar.
Cleveland effectively has a fifth four-quarterback setup after placing Dillon Gabriel on injured reserve with a return designation, and more QB movement could come before Week 1 as teams keep churning rosters.