How Many Quarterbacks Should the Packers Carry in 2014?

It has become the norm in Green Bay for the Packers to carry just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster during the regular season. For much of the past few seasons, it has been Aaron Rodgers and a single backup quarterback, and up until midway through the 2013 season, that backup rarely if ever saw the field.

Of course, that all changed last fall when Aaron Rodgers was knocked out of the lineup with a broken collarbone against the Bears in Week 9. His only backup, Seneca Wallace, finished out the game with John Kuhn serving as the emergency quarterback. The following week, Scott Tolzien was promoted from the practice squad and took over when Wallace himself was hurt in week 10, after which the Packers brought Matt Flynn back. Tolzien started a pair of games, and Flynn started five more before Rodgers' return.

All in all, it was the first time that three different Packers started a game at quarterback since 1991 (Don Majkowski, Mike Tomczak, and Blair Kiel) and it became the only season in the Super Bowl era in which four different quarterbacks each started at least one game.

Now, at times over the past few years (specifically in 2010 and 2011), the Packers started the season with two quarterbacks and added a third, Graham Harrell, to the 53-man roster late in the season. However, Harrell did not see regular season action until 2012, when Flynn departed and he filled in for Rodgers in garbage time (and for one fateful play against the Saints).

As we look ahead towards the 2014 season, we want to pose a question to the Acme Packing Company readership: how many quarterbacks should the Packers carry on the 53-man roster in 2014?

This is of course a question both of necessity in the case of injury as well as quarterback development. After appearing on the active roster for 8 games in 2013 (combined with three for the 49ers in 2012), Tolzien is no longer eligible for the practice squad, so if Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson wish to continue his development, he'll have to be on the 53. Flynn is under contract and has performed well in spot duty with the Packers, but has flamed out as a possible starter in Seattle, Oakland, and Buffalo.

The final piece to the personnel puzzle is rookie free agent Chase Rettig from Boston College, whom the Packers signed immediately following the 2014 NFL Draft. Rettig was a four-year starter, but dealt with numerous coaching changes and never was able to settle into a system. He is presumably a prime candidate for a practice squad spot unless he somehow impresses enough to beat out Flynn or Tolzien.

The question now goes to you, Packers fans: how many quarterbacks should the Packers keep on the roster?