Largest QB "clean slate"/"tabula rasa"

[Bryan]

The 2016 Bears had 3 different starting QBs during the regular season...Brian Hoyer, Jay Cutler, Matt Barkley. None of those QBs returned to the team for 2017. Has this ever happened before in NFL history...a team had 3 different starting QBs in one season, and had an entirely new set of QBs the following year?

[lastcat3]

'89 Cowboys?

I know Danny White and Steve Pelleur were no longer on the team for that season and Troy Aikman and Steve Walsh were drafted in '89. Not sure who the third sting qb would have been in '88 and if JJ kept him on the roster or not.

[lastcat3]

Looked it up and Kevin Sweeney was the third string qb in 1988 and was with the '49ers in '89. So that may be the closest there is to it. Both Danny White and Kevin Sweeney played in '88 but neither actually started a game.

[Jay Z]

2011-2012 Colts. The Colts started 3 QBs in replacement of Peyton Manning. Kerry Collins, Dan Orlofsky, Curtis Painter. All of them and Manning were gone for 2012.

[Jay Z]

1976 Buccaneers started Steve Spurrier, Parnell Dickinson, Terry Hanratty. All were gone by the beginning of 1977, when they started Gary Huff, Randy Hedberg, and Jeb Blount. Though Dickinson was resigned briefly in mid-season, he never played in 1977. Not sure if that counts, since he was let go so it was a "clean slate."

[BD Sullivan]

In 2004, the Browns had Jeff Garcia, Luke McCown and Kelly Holcomb start games at QB. None of them were on the team the next season. There's probably more seasons like that involving the Browns, given the continuing disaster they've been.

[Jeremy Crowhurst]

The Detroit Lions three-headed monster of 1993 Rodney Peete, Eric Kramer, and Andre Ware. Peete went to Dallas, Kramer went to the Bears, and Ware went to the Raiders but was cut without seeing any action.

[Jeremy Crowhurst]

The 1994 Cardinals had Steve Beuerlein, Jim McMahon, and Jay Schroeder as starters, all were gone the next year -- Beuerlein to Jacksonville, McMahon to Green Bay, and Schroeder retired.

The 1998 Bears had Eric Kramer, Steve Stenstrom, and Moses Moreno. Moreno and Kramer both went to San Diego, Stenstrom went to the 49ers.

The 2010 Jaguars had Trent Edwards, who went to Oakland the following year, as well as Todd Bouman and David Garrard, who were both released and never played another NFL game.

Jeff Garcia and Luke McCown make a second appearance on the list - the 2008 Buccaneers, who also started Brian Griese. Griese was cut, then retired, Garcia went to Philadelphia, McCown went to Jacksonville.

The 1976 Bucs get an honourable mention. Steve Spurrier, Parnell Dickinson, and Terry Hanratty all started. All were cut before the start of the 1977 season. Parnell Dickinson was re-signed part way through the 1977 season, but never saw the field and was cut after a couple of weeks.

[Ronfitch]

Between Starr and Favre for the Packers, there was one such occurrence ... through it might be argued that there would have been better if it had happened more than than.

The '75 Packers had John Hadl (started 13 games) and Don Milan (started 1 game). In '76, it was Lynn Dickey (started 10), Carlos Brown (who went on to an acting career under the name Alan Autry; started 3 games) and Randy Johnson (started 1 game).

[conace21]

The 2000 Chargers had Moreno, Jim Harbaugh, and Ryan Leaf each start at least two games. All three of them were gone the following year, in favor of Doug Flutie and Drew Brees. Leaf played one more year with Dallas before retiring; neither Harbaugh nor Moreno ever played again.


The 1984 Bills had Joe Ferguson, Joe Dufek, and Matt Kofler. Kofler didn't start any games, but he did throw 93 passes that season. None of the three were back in 1985; Ferguson was actually released late in the season.
Vince Ferragamo and Bruce Mathison started for the 1985 team. Neither of those two would be back in 1986. They weren't needed when Jim Kelly was signed late in training camp. Frank Reich, a third string rookie who threw one pass in 1985, would return in 1986, and for 8 seasons after that.