In the NFL, the expectation for a player to be drafted in the 1st round is to be a part of that team multiple years, as a strong player in the league. Especially when they are playing the quarterback position.
One QB that has one of the most bizarre and stunning careers in the NFL is Josh Rosen. He has been on seven different teams in a total of six seasons. Why not take a look at Rosen’s football career? As well as his rise and fall.
Rosen was a highly rated five-star high school recruit who had many universities interested. Rosen ultimately chose UCLA because, at the time, QB Brett Hundley declared for the NFL draft, and UCLA needed a quarterback. Rosen became that guy as he won the competition against Jerry Neuheisel. As a freshman, he played very well. He had 3,670 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and completed 60% of his passes.
2016 was a disappointing season as he suffered a shoulder injury. Despite that, 2017 was his best season with UCLA and his career. He finished the year with 3,756 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and completed 62.5% of his passes. He would have had a stronger season if he had not suffered a concussion at the end of the season.
After that season, he decided to declare for the NFL Draft in a stacked QB Class. When looking at his college career, there were red flags, and many analysts/scouts ranked him as the 4th/5th best QB from the class. Although he was a solid prospect, his ceiling made him a 1st round prospect.
This was a big draft for teams that desperately needed a QB, as 5 of them were projected to go in the 1st round. One of those teams, the Arizona Cardinals, needed to replace Carson Palmer, who retired. Along with Drew Stanton, Blaine Gabbert, and Matt Barkley departing.
For Arizona to get its guy, the Cardinals needed to make a trade. So, Arizona made a deal trading a first, third, and fifth round pick to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for the 10th overall pick, which they used to select QB Rosen. They used their picks on OT Kolten Miller, DE/EDGE Rasheem Green, and CB Dane Cruikshank.
Rosen did not start right away as the Cardinals signed Sam Bradford to a one-year deal worth 20 million. It was a questionable signing because Bradford can barely stay healthy. Bradford did not work out at all and was so terrible that the Cardinals cut him in midseason.
Watching some of Rosen’s lowlights as a Cardinal, it was not pretty as his play was abysmal. His career with Arizona truly came to an end in that Denver Broncos game. He made some horrendous throws, looked lost behind the pocket, and easily crumbled under pressure. He finished the game with 194 passing yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions, completed 53.8% of his passes, and fumbled three times in that game. He never truly recovered after that game and was consistently terrible the rest of the season.
Arizona finished the season with a 3-13 record and secured the 1st Overall pick in the 2019 NFL Season. Many thought they would go after Nick Bosa, as their defense was disappointing last season. Then, Arizona decided to fire Steve Wilks after coaching for one season.
When a coach is fired after one season, somebody messed up, he showcases a franchise being dysfunctional. Once Arizona got rid of him, they hired Kliff Kingsbury, and Rosen was pretty much done.
With the first overall pick, the Cardinals decided to select QB Kyler Murray, and Rosen was pretty much done with the organization. The Cardinals had to move on from him and make a trade.
The Miami Dolphins needed a new QB after trading Ryan Tannehill to the Tennessee Titans. The Dolphins made an offer the Cardinals could not pass up by trading a 2nd and a 5th-round pick to Arizona for Rosen. The second round pick was used to select WR Andy Isabella, who never developed, and the fifth round pick was reacquired by Miami in the Kenyan Drake trade. The pick ultimately was traded to the 49ers for Matt Brieda, and it was later utilized on OT Colton McKivitz.
With a change of scenery, maybe Rosen would have been in a better situation. Well, that is not the case with Rosen, as he was joining a team that was openly tanking for Tua Tagovailoa. He was given a chance to start and potentially could change their minds, but it didn’t work out. Rosen got worse as the starter in Miami and was benched for Ryan Fitzpatrick for the rest of the season.
It was a predictable, disastrous season, and with Miami Tanking for Tua, they accomplished their goal of selecting Tagovailoa in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Dolphins decided to release Rosen as they failed to find a trade partner. It’s a stunning fall from grace as Rosen went from a Top 10 pick in the NFL Draft to a potential face of the franchise of two franchises, to out of a job and not being wanted on any team.
Normally, there would separation of his time with both teams, but his tenure with the Buccaneers and 49ers was similar, short and sweet. He spent a portion of the 2020 season on the Buccaneers’ practice squad, as many thought that he could develop with proper coaching.
He did not play a snap in Tampa as the San Francisco 49ers came calling and decided to pick him up on the practice squad. To be honest, the only reason the 49ers did this was due to Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Mullens getting injured, and Josh Johnson was on the COVID-19 list. Rosen did not play a game with the 49ers, and once they selected QB Trey Lance, he was immediately released.
After a brief stint with the 49ers and Buccaneers, many thought that this would be the end of Rosen. Well, the Atlanta Falcons decided to take a chance, as 2021 was a year for Atlanta to deal with a year of bad contracts. Along with AJ McCarron being out for the season, the Falcons needed another quarterback.
He did not play in a lot of games, but in the snaps he took last season, he did not impress. He only completed 2 of 11 passes for 19 yards and threw 2 interceptions. This was not a great season, and unsurprisingly, he did not sign another deal with Atlanta.
Once he left Atlanta in 2022, he joined the Cleveland Browns. At this time, the Browns traded Baker Mayfield, Deshaun Watson had to serve his suspension, and the QB room needed competition with Jacoby Brissett and Josh Dobbs on the roster.
He unfortunately did not get the job and was on the practice squad for many months. When the Browns parted ways with him, the Minnesota Vikings gave him a chance on their practice squad, but he only lasted a month. Ever since then, he hasn’t played on another team.
That is a lengthy resume for an NFL QB like Rosen. However, it is a tremendous fall for the young QB. He went from being a Top 10 pick in the NFL Draft to playing on seven teams in six years.
There are a few reasons why his fall occurred, and that is a separate issue, but it can’t be denied that Rosen was a complete bust. He is arguably the biggest bust in Arizona Cardinals history, and it feels like a wasted opportunity for both Rosen and the franchise.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
