Cardinals' Stanton: NFL roster rules make it hard for young QBs to develop

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Drew Stanton is one of the NFL's best and most experienced backups, so his opinion on quarterback development carries weight.

And Stanton doesn't like what he sees, particularly with respect to recent NFL rule changes like the recent move away from teams carrying a third active quarterback on game days.

"It's so hard to develop as a quarterback in this league nowadays," Stanton said, according to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. "The NFL is, unfortunately, heading into a bad trend. When I first got in the league, you could be an inactive third on game day like I was when I was younger. That transitions into now, they're trying to save spots and get guys to the practice squad."

Prior to 2011, NFL teams were permitted to carry a third quarterback on their game-day rosters who did not count toward the 45-man active roster. This rule was altered in 2011 with a move to a strict 46-man roster. Most teams elect to use the 46th spot on a non-quarterback.

New York Jets sophomore passer Christian Hackenberg is a recent victim of this. The 2016 second-round pick was inactive for all but one game as a rookie, likely slowing his development.

The Cardinals have four quarterbacks on their roster currently, with Carson Palmer atop the depth chart and Blaine Gabbert and rookie Trevor Knight behind Stanton. It seems unlikely Gabbert or Knight will make the roster and also be active on game days.