New York Giants: Josh Rosen personality concerns are absurd

The New York Giants should either draft or pass on UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen based only on football reasons and talent, not personality concerns.

The NFL is a bizarre place as it pertains to what owners and coaching staffs allegedly care about these days. While the NBA is filled with franchise owners who seem to embrace players speaking out about issues and, more importantly, displaying their personalities via in-game celebrations, post-game interviews and social media platforms, it often appears the NFL would prefer its big-name stars to remain quiet and faceless figures outside of advertising opportunities generated by the league’s own marketing machine.

Quarterback Josh Rosen doesn’t fit the mold of what the NFL wants out of signal-callers. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller touched upon this very subject for a piece published on April 16, and he offered insight on why some clubs would pass on Rosen if presented with the opportunity to draft him next week:

"But the knock on him, from some, has been that his expressed interests in Wall Street and things other than football might keep him from improving as a quarterback. Of course, no one said that when Andrew Luck was carting around books about the history of concrete. But, for instance, scouts did love that Carson Wentz and Mitchell Trubisky had few interests outside of football and hunting."

Miller also wrote about Rosen famously rocking an anti-Donald Trump hat for a picture the player shared on Instagram. “The last thing we need is the face of our team tweeting about the president when we’re on a losing streak,” an executive told Miller.

The current administration is unquestionably polarizing among pockets of football fans and Americans, in general, but anybody believing Rosen voting for somebody other than Trump in 2020 has anything to do with his ability to win games for a franchise has lost the plot. New England Patriots starter Tom Brady displayed a “Make America Great Again” hat in his locker. It didn’t affect his ability to hit receivers with passes and complete successful fourth-quarter drives.

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New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman must consider all facets of what it means to play buarterback for Big Blue before electing to use the second overall draft pick on a successor for two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning. Yes, the quarterback needs to possess the physical traits and maturity needed to win at the highest level. He also needs to be a leader and somebody who can survive dealing with the New York press on a weekly basis.

The idea that Rosen must be all football all of the time to guide the Giants to victories is absurd because we know Manning hasn’t been like that since day one. The 37-year-old who is the greatest quarterback to ever feature for a proud franchise with a lengthy history takes his job seriously, but it’s no secret he has other interests. Even his older brother, Peyton, enjoyed games of golf to unwind. If anything, the previously mentioned Brady may be more obsessed with football than any other player of his generation, MAGA hat and all.

Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t the most grown-up individual during his first few seasons in the NFL. He eventually got it right. Aaron Rodgers has a reputation for not being beloved by all who have played alongside him. Cam Newton has fought with teammates. At the opposite end of the spectrum is somebody like Josh McCown, a warrior and respected on-the-field general who, unfortunately, hasn’t won anything of note. Revisionist history has allowed some to forget that Eli Manning only became somewhat of a media darling in the New York press after the Super Bowl XLII victory over the Patriots.

A desire to do all it takes to win is essential for any young quarterback to evolve into a champion, but talent matters most. The NFL becomes more of a pass-happy competition with each year. That trend isn’t changing. If Gettleman and his staff believe Rosen has the goods to replace Manning and defeat NFC opponents six times a year, they must ignore the supposed character concerns that have hovered over his status since 2017, grab him and hope he develops.

Those of us who don’t know Rosen can only speculate on his true nature. Maybe you wouldn’t want your sister you date him. Perhaps you’d hate that he may be as interested in his financial future as he is in winning football games. It’s possible you’d want to become his best friend after having a beer or two with him. Who knows? Furthermore, who cares?

There’s a famous scene from the television show The West Wing in which White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler exclaims “they’ll like us when we win!” when discussing foreign policy and the Arab world. The same can be said about quarterbacks. Giants fans will love Rosen if he wins for them. Johnny Manziel would probably have a statue outside of FirstEnergy Stadium in his honor had he been able to guide the Cleveland Browns to a 9-7 record, let alone a title, between 2014 and last February.

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Real worries about Rosen leap off his scouting report. He has already suffered multiple concussions during his playing days. A shoulder injury ended his season early in 2016. Intangibles could prevent the Giants from drafting Rosen if it’s thought he can’t lead an NFL offense against top defenses. In the end, Gettleman and company had better be right if they pass on Rosen because they aren’t in love with his character.

Some team will like Rosen if he wins.