Josh Rosen

Joshua Ballinger Lippincott Rosen (born February 10, 1997) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. Rosen played college football for the UCLA Bruins, receiving Freshman All-American and Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2015. During his junior year, Rosen set the school's record for single-season passing yards.

Rosen was selected 10th overall in the 2018 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals, and served as the team's starter during the majority of his rookie season. He was traded to the Miami Dolphins the following season and released after one year. Rosen spent his next two seasons as a backup for the San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons.

Early life

Rosen was born on February 10, 1997, in Torrance, California, to Charles Rosen, an orthopedic spine surgeon, and Liz Lippincott, a former journalist.

Rosen's father is Jewish and was a nationally ranked ice skater who almost qualified for the Winter Olympics in the 1970s, and his mother is a Quaker, who was the captain of the Princeton lacrosse team. Rosen had a bar mitzvah and identifies as Jewish, saying in 2016: "In retrospect, being Jewish is a big reason why I should have considered UCLA. Just because of how Jewish Hollywood is, and they really want someone to look up to because they just don't have professional athletes." As for his spiritual beliefs, he describes himself as "kind of an atheist."

Rosen is the maternal great-great-great-grandson of Joseph Wharton, the co-founder of Bethlehem Steel and founder of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, which was named in his honor, Rosen is named after another ancestor, Joshua Ballinger Lippincott, who founded publishing house J. B. Lippincott & Co.

Rosen grew up playing tennis; at age 12 he was the No. 1-ranked player for his age group in Southern California, and ranked nationally in the top-50. He became a top-10 player in junior rankings. He was introduced to football in elementary school by a friend's father who was a youth coach. Right before high school, Rosen switched from tennis to football.

Rosen attended St. John Bosco High School, a Catholic high school in Bellflower, California, where he had a 4.3 GPA. As a senior, he was named the ''Los Angeles Times'' Player of the Year and the '' Long Beach Press-Telegram'' Dream Team Player of the Year after passing for 3,186 yards, 29 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He was named a 2014 ''USA Today'' High School All-American. He was also named the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame's Male High School Athlete of the Year. During his playing career, he passed for 11,175 yards and 90 touchdowns.

Rosen was rated by both Rivals.com and Scout.com as a five-star recruit and ranked as the best quarterback in his class. Rivals also ranked him as the best overall recruit. He verbally committed to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in March 2014 before officially signing in September.

College career

Freshman year

An economics major, Rosen began taking classes at UCLA in January 2015; he enrolled early so he could take part in spring practice. With three-year starting quarterback Brett Hundley leaving UCLA early for the NFL, a large hole was created on the team. Rosen was UCLA's best quarterback during the spring, and he continued to compete during summer camp to be the team's starting quarterback as a true freshman. On August 26, a week after being publicly criticized by head coach Jim Mora, Rosen was named the Bruins' starting quarterback. He beat out Jerry Neuheisel, who had three years of experience in offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone's up-tempo spread offense, which was similar to the offense Rosen ran in high school. The freshman called Neuheisel "selfless" for helping him during the competition.

UCLA entered the 2015 season ranked No. 13 by the Associated Press and No. 14 in the Coaches Poll.
In the season opener, Rosen completed 28 of 35 passes for 351 yards and three touchdowns as UCLA defeated Virginia 34–16, and he became the first true freshman to start a season opener at quarterback for UCLA. He was honored as the Walter Camp Offensive Player of the Week. In a 17–9 win over No. 18 Utah, he broke Drew Olson's decade-old school record (199) for consecutive passes without an interception. The victory kept UCLA in contention for the Pac-12 championship entering their regular-season finale against their crosstown rivals, the USC Trojans. However, they lost 40–21 to the Trojans as Rosen turned the ball over three times on a fumble and two interceptions, ending his streak of passes without an interception at 245. He was named the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year and earned Freshman All-American honors from '' USA Today'', '' Sporting News'', and Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). He was also named ''The Sporting News Freshman of the Year, Pac-12 Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year (coaches), and Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year (AP).

Sophomore year

In 2016, Rosen was injured in an October 8 loss to Arizona State Sun Devils, when he threw for a then-career high 400 yards. He missed the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. He had surgery on his throwing shoulder to repair soft-tissue damage. UCLA was 3–3 in Rosen's six starts, and he suffered 13 sacks in the shortened season compared to 14 in all of 2015. The Bruins were 1–5 in the final six games and missed bowl eligibility without him.

Junior year

In the 2017 season opener at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Rosen completed 35-of-59 passes for 491 yards and four touchdowns to rally UCLA to a 45–44 win over Texas A&M, capped off by a touchdown pass to Jordan Lasley on a fake spike play with 48 seconds to go in the game. The Bruins overcame a 34-point deficit, the largest comeback in school history and the second-most ever in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said: "We knew he was smart.... But the thing I was really impressed with was his toughness. We hit him and hit him a lot, and he got better. It's not supposed to work that way ... especially in the fourth quarter."

The following week, Rosen was 22-of-25 for 329 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in a 56–23 win over Hawaii. It was the 12th 300-yard game of his career, breaking the school record of 11 set previously by Cade McNown. He reached 2,000 yards for the season in five games, the fastest of any player in UCLA history. After five games, Rosen led the nation in passing yards (2,135), total offense (2,158), and touchdowns (17). On October 4, 2017, CBS Sports published a 2018 mock draft that had the Cleveland Browns selecting Rosen with the No. 1 overall pick. On October 28, in a 44–23 loss against Washington, Rosen was forced out of the game in the third quarter due to a concussion, which he had tried hiding from coaches after being injured on a sack in the game's opening drive. He completed 12 of 21 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown, the first passing score the Huskies had surrendered in the Pac-12 all season. After missing one game, Rosen returned to the lineup and threw for 381 yards with one touchdown and also scored on a one-yard run in a 44–37 win over the Arizona State Sun Devils. In his first matchup against USC quarterback Sam Darnold, Rosen was 32 of 52 passing for 421 yards along with three touchdowns and an interception in a 28–23 loss to the Trojans. The two passers were among the top prospects for the 2018 NFL draft. In the regular season finale against California, Rosen led the Bruins to a 17–9 lead at the half, but was held out the rest of the game after suffering his second concussion. He suffered three sacks, including one late in the second quarter when he was slow to get up after being thrown to the ground. He finished 13-of-18 passing for 202 yards and two touchdowns, and the Bruins won 30–27 to become bowl-eligible.

After leading the conference in passing yards per game, Rosen was voted second-team All-Pac-12. He was retroactively credited with a 39-yard pass to Eldridge Massington that was originally ruled a run against Arizona State. It pushed his season total to 3,756 yards passing, breaking Brett Hundley's single season school record of 3,740 in 2012. Rosen missed the Cactus Bowl after doctors did not clear him to play. On January 3, 2018, Rosen announced his intentions to enter the 2018 NFL draft. During his time at UCLA, he was nicknamed "Chosen Rosen" and the " Chosen One".

College statistics

Professional career

Arizona Cardinals

Considered by many to be the "most NFL-ready" quarterback prospect in the draft, Rosen was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round with the 10th overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft. They traded a first-, third-, and fifth-round pick in order to move up five spots to select him. He was the fourth of five quarterbacks chosen in the first round that year. In a press conference following the draft, Rosen referred to the selections made before him as "nine mistakes".

On May 10, 2018, Rosen signed a four-year deal worth $17.84 million with an $11 million signing bonus. During training camp, Rosen won the backup position over Mike Glennon. He made his first regular season appearance in Week 3 of 2018, replacing starter Sam Bradford with 4:31 remaining against the Chicago Bears and the Cardinals trailing 16–14. Arizona lost the game to fall to 0–3, while Rosen completed four of seven for 36 yards and one interception. Entering the game, the Cardinals had scored just six points and ranked last in a number of offensive categories, but jumped out to a 14–0 first quarter lead before six scoreless possessions prompted Arizona coach Steve Wilks to switch to Rosen.

On September 24, the Cardinals named Rosen the starting quarterback for Week 4. In his first career start, Rosen passed for 180 yards and a touchdown in the 20–17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He helped the Cardinals earn their first win the following week against the San Francisco 49ers, when he completed 10 of 25 passes for 170 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown pass to fellow rookie, receiver Christian Kirk. In Week 7, Rosen had two of his three interceptions returned for touchdowns, lost two fumbles, and was sacked six times in a 45–10 loss to the Denver Broncos on '' Thursday Night Football''. Still ranked among the worst offenses in the league, Arizona fired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and replaced him with their quarterback coach, Byron Leftwich. In Week 8, Rosen led the Cardinals to an 18–15 comeback win for a season sweep over the 49ers. He threw a career-high 252 passing yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score to Kirk with 34 seconds remaining to rally the team from a 15–3 fourth-quarter deficit. In Week 13, Rosen completed 11 of 26 passes for 149 yards to upset the Green Bay Packers at home, 20–17. The loss, in which the Packers were 14-point favorites, ended Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike McCarthy's tenure in Green Bay; he was fired three hours after the game ended.

Rosen finished his rookie season with 2,278 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions as the Cardinals finished 3–13 (3–10 with Rosen as starter). His 66.7 passer rating was the worst among qualified passers that year. He praised his teammates during the season, and resisted criticizing the team's unimaginative playcalling or weak offensive line and receiving corps. Arizona fired Wilks after the season and replaced him with Kliff Kingsbury, who declared that "Josh is our guy". The new coach, while coaching in college in 2018, had said that he would pick quarterback Kyler Murray if he had the first overall NFL draft pick.

Miami Dolphins

On April 26, 2019, after the Cardinals selected Murray first overall in the 2019 NFL draft, Rosen was traded to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for the Dolphins' 2019 second-round pick and their fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft. Arizona general manager Steve Keim attributed the trade to the value they received and said that "all of us are big fans of Josh Rosen". Josh Weinfuss of ESPN wrote that Rosen would have most likely been traded even if he had "put up big numbers" as a rookie.

With Miami, Rosen was named the backup to Ryan Fitzpatrick to start the 2019 season. The Dolphins started the year 0–2, and were outscored 102–10. After relieving Fitzpatrick in both contests, Rosen was named the starter for Week 3, and threw for 200 yards as the Dolphins lost 31–6 to the Dallas Cowboys. In Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers, he threw for 180 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a 30–10 loss. Rosen's touchdown pass was his first and only as a member of the Dolphins. Following a Week 5 bye week, Rosen started against the Washington Redskins, but was benched for Fitzpatrick after three quarters while throwing for only 85 yards and two interceptions. The Dolphins lost 17–16. Rosen only appeared in one other game in 2019, serving as Fitzpatrick's backup for the rest of the season.

The following offseason, the Dolphins drafted quarterback Tua Tagovailoa fifth overall in the 2020 NFL draft. Rosen was unable to surpass either Tagovailoa or Fitzpatrick on the depth chart, and Miami waived him on September 5 after failing to find a trade partner.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On September 8, 2020, Rosen signed onto the practice squad of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

San Francisco 49ers

On December 23, 2020, Rosen was signed by the 49ers off of the Buccaneers' practice squad following injuries to quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Mullens, and practice squad quarterback Josh Johnson being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Rosen was active for the 49ers for their final two games, but did not see any action. On February 8, 2021, the 49ers signed him to a one-year contract extension. On August 17, 2021, after struggling to compete for the third quarterback spot behind Garoppolo and 2021 first round draft pick Trey Lance, Rosen was waived by the 49ers.

Atlanta Falcons

Following a season-ending injury to second-string quarterback A. J. McCarron, Rosen signed with the Atlanta Falcons on August 24, 2021. He was named the second-string option for the season opener behind incumbent starter Matt Ryan and ahead of undrafted rookie Feleipe Franks.

Rosen made his season debut during Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he replaced Ryan for the Falcons' final drive. He made two pass attempts, both of which were incomplete, in the 48–25 loss. In Week 10 against the Dallas Cowboys, Rosen again relieved a struggling Ryan during the third quarter. He completed one of six passes for 14 yards and was intercepted by cornerback Jourdan Lewis in the 43–3 defeat. The following week against the New England Patriots, Rosen made a third relief appearance in the fourth quarter after Ryan threw two interceptions on consecutive drives. Rosen completed one of two pass attempts before throwing an interception to linebacker Kyle Van Noy that was returned for a touchdown. He was replaced on the Falcons' final drive by Franks, who was also intercepted to conclude the 25–0 shutout loss.

Cleveland Browns

On July 21, 2022, the Cleveland Browns signed Rosen to a one-year contract. They terminated his contract on August 30, before signing him to their practice squad on September 1. He was released on October 10.

Minnesota Vikings

On December 20, 2022, Rosen was signed to the Minnesota Vikings practice squad. His practice squad contract with the team expired after the season on January 15, 2023.

Legacy

Due to his highly touted potential, high draft pick, and lack of success to show for it, some sources have listed Rosen among the biggest draft busts in the history of the NFL and the Arizona Cardinals. The cause of his failure in the NFL has been debated among fans and analysts. Some argued that he never had a stable offensive line, a capable coach, nor a stable offensive system in Arizona and Miami before being relegated to being a backup. Others cited his lack of mobility, anticipation, and athleticism compared to many of his NFL peers and his lack of adjustment to the professional level. Regardless, he is noted to never have spent more than one full season with any team, becoming the only first-round quarterback to be jettisoned from the team that drafted him after playing only one season for it, and having been on seven teams throughout his five-year career. The Cardinals, Dolphins, and 49ers each spent a first-round draft pick on a quarterback the year after playing Rosen before cutting or trading him.

NFL career statistics

Personal life

As of 2024, Rosen is a student at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

See also

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Notes

References

External links

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UCLA Bruins bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosen, Josh
1997 births
Living people
American atheists
American football quarterbacks
Arizona Cardinals players
Atlanta Falcons players
Cleveland Browns players
Cornell family
Jewish American players of American football
Jewish American atheists
Miami Dolphins players
Minnesota Vikings players
People from Manhattan Beach, California
Players of American football from Los Angeles County, California
San Francisco 49ers players
Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
UCLA Bruins football players
Sigma Alpha Epsilon members
St. John Bosco High School alumni
Jews from California
Under Armour All-American football players
Wharton School alumni