Josh Rosen spent much of the 2018 NFL Draft process combating narratives that he was arrogant, asked too many questions and didn’t truly “need” the game of football. When he arrived in Arizona after being taken with the tenth pick, he was immediately thrust into one of the least stable situations in the league.
The Cardinals won three games in 2018, fired their offensive coordinator halfway through the season, then relieved first-year head coach Steve Wilks at the season’s conclusion. The hiring of Texas Tech’s offensive whiz kid Kliff Kingsbury has brought with it loud rumors that the Cardinals will select Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray with the no. 1 overall pick. You’d excuse Rosen for wanting to get the hell out of dodge.
As rumors of Rosen’s demise in Arizona have increased in volume, the former UCLA quarterback has remained as professional as one can be when the team you’ve been a part of for exactly one season appears to be plotting to get rid of you. He showed up to the team’s offseason training program, which is voluntary, and has answered questions about his shaky status as the team’s starting quarterback with grace. Now, in a video for Sports Illustrated, Rosen has spoken honestly about his mindset for the first time.
https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1118876837546008577
“I definitely understand the situation. It’s annoying, but it is what it is. Football is a business and I definitely respect the higher-ups and their decisions,” Rosen said. “Whatever decisions are made, it’s my duty to prove (the Cardinals) right if they keep me and prove them wrong if they ship me off.”
There is no denying Rosen’s struggles as a rookie. He completed just 55 percent of his passes, threw 11 touchdowns to 14 interceptions and averaged just 5.8 yards per attempt. The advanced statistics look even worse, with Rosen posting a DVOA of -53%, per Football Outsiders, dead last in the NFL by an enormous margin (Josh Allen was second to last at -35.9%). Football Outsiders also has Rosen with the worst second-half performance of any quarterback they’ve ever measured.
And yet some of Rosen’s struggles can be placed on the playcalling, having to play behind a horrid offensive line and a complete lack of talent surrounding him at the skill positions. Much like Jared Goff’s horrid rookie season playing in Jeff Fisher’s antiquated offense, Rosen should perform better playing in a system more closely suited to his skillset, and with better players around him. How much better remains to be seen, but Rosen’s rookie tenure in Arizona should not reflect what type of quarterback he can become, at least not yet.
Whether Rosen’s career continues in Arizona or is rebooted elsewhere, his rookie experience should only increase the size of the chip on his shoulder to that of a large Tostitos.
