4 NFL backup quarterbacks from 2019 who deserve another chance to start
Josh Rosen
Josh Rosen gets a lot more blame than he actually deserves. Entering his third year in the league, Rosen has been on two of the worst teams in each of the past two years. The 2018 Arizona Cardinals were by far the worst offense in the league, averaging 14 points and 242 total yards per game. While many will attribute their failures to Rosen, who completed 55 percent of his passes for 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, the blame isn’t all on him.
Rosen was sacked 45 times in his 14 games with the Cardinals and was taken to the ground on 10.3 percent of his dropbacks, which was the fifth-highest rate in the league. Rosen had very few weapons with which to work, including a declining David Johnson, an aging Larry Fitzgerald and a rookie Christian Kirk.
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He was also constantly forced in long downs and distances, as the Arizona run game was ranked 32nd in the league. Rosen’s known fault was his lack of mobility, so putting him behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league set him up to fail.
Once he was traded to the Miami Dolphins for a second-round pick, it was assumed that Rosen’s supporting cast would only get better. That proved to be far from true, as the Dolphins were in a full rebuild.
Rosen was once again stuck behind a porous offensive line and sacked on 12.8 percent of his dropbacks in 2019, which led the league. His run game was putrid, as 38-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick ended up leading the team in rushing. Outside of Devante Parker, who had yet to surpass 750 yards receiving before this past season, Rosen had no receiving help.
Can Rosen experience a career resurgence with another team? I am honestly not sure. However, I do think he deserves one more chance with a franchise that actually has weapons and a decent offensive line.
Rosen has his flaws and won’t likely live up to his pre-draft comparison Aaron Rodgers, but he is still only 23 years old and had shown enough positive traits in college to be drafted in the top-ten of the 2018 NFL draft. Many may have lost faith in Rosen, but he could potentially find success with a well-run franchise.