Browns could reportedly carry four QBs on 53-man roster: How rare is the move for Week 1?

The Cleveland Browns on Monday named veteran Joe Flacco their starting quarterback, but they still have some important decisions to make surrounding the other quarterbacks on the roster. With offseason acquisition Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the mix, the Browns are not lacking in options and there's a chance they keep all three, along with Flacco.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that he expects the Browns to carry four quarterbacks on "their final 53-man roster." Schefter said the Browns will keep Flacco and both rookies, so the remaining piece is Pickett, who is also expected to make the roster because "quarterbacks are currency."

Browns name Joe Flacco starting QB: Veteran beats out Shedeur Sanders, others in camp battle

Chris Bengel

Keeping four quarterbacks is not a common practice from NFL teams, so this would certainly be a bit of a surprising move for the Browns to make.

Cleveland traded quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and their 2025 fifth-round pick from the Detroit Lions to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Pickett, and there is still a chance they want to keep him as Flacco's backup. Acquiring him through a trade and not through free agency also puts pressure to make losing a draft pick worth it, rather than cut him or move him to the practice squad just a few months later.

Schefter did float the idea that a team may call about one of the rookies -- the team picked Gabriel in the third round and Sanders in the fifth -- but didn't reveal which one may be of most interest to teams in need.

How often do NFL teams keep four quarterbacks?

If the Browns do go forward with all four QBs, they would be joining a small list of teams to do the same. Since 2013, there have only been five teams to keep four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster for Week 1, according to CBS Sports research.

The New Orleans Saints were the last to do it, with Taysom Hill, Jameis Winston, Trevor Siemian and Ian Book in 2021, though Hill also played tight end.

The New York Jets had four in 2020 (Sam Darnold, James Morgan, Flacco, Mike White) and 2016 (Christian Hackenberg, Bryce Petty, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith), the Miami Dolphins had four in 2018 (Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler, Luke Falk, David Fales) and Washington had four in 2013 (Kirk Cousins, Patrick White, Rex Grossman, Robert Griffin III).

While the NFL is a quarterback-driven league, carrying four QBs didn't work out for the last five teams to do so, with all missing the playoffs. The Saints were the only of the five teams to have a winning record in the year they had four quarterbacks.

Cleveland also has quarterbacks Deshaun Watson, who is currently sidelined after tearing his Achilles twice in 12 weeks, and Tyler Huntley, on the roster. Watson is expected to miss the entire 2025 season while Huntley, who was added during training camp while Pickett and Gabriel dealt with injuries, is unlikely to survive roster cuts.