NFL brings back emergency third quarterback rule
The league used to allow teams to dress a third quarterback for emergency purposes. If he entered the game before the start of the fourth quarter, the other two could not return. Eventually, the league allowed teams to dress a 46th player, without regard to position.
Few teams ever choose to dress a third quarterback, rolling the dice on lightning not striking twice in the same game at one of the most protected positions. For the 49ers — and the game — the dice came up craps (in the bad way) during the NFC Championship, after San Francisco lost both healthy quarterbacks and had no one else.