Rookie Rosen becoming Cardinals’ leader
For as cocky and brazenly bold as Josh Rosen was on the night he got drafted, telling the world that the nine NFL times that passed on him had made epic mistakes and would live to regret it, the Cardinals’ rookie quarterback was awfully quiet and reserved as he began his pro career.
As great as he wants to be and says he will become, he knew he had to mind his mouth, earn his place and wait for his moment.
Once the decision was made to bench slumping veteran Sam Bradford during the fourth quarter of the team’s third game, the process slowly began to shift. Rosen didn’t reach for a bullhorn to announce his arrival on the grand stage, but his voice got louder. With each passing week, it’s gotten stronger, too.
The Cardinals might not by winning very many games, but Rosen is winning over teammates, young and old alike, as he continues to progress, take ownership of the team, and lay down the law as its leader and as the eventual face of the franchise.
“I think he’s gotten better each and every week,” Cardinals coach Steve Wilks said. “I think he’s commanding the offense. The guys respect him. He has gotten to the point now to where – I don’t really want to use the term ‘calling guys out’ – but he has set the tone there. He doesn’t mind getting on guys when needed.”
Rosen might have to do a lot of barking and yelling on Sunday in Los Angeles considering the Cardinals (2-8) will be 12-point underdogs against the Chargers at StubHub Center. The offense has shown progress under Rosen at times, but it’s also had its moments of regress and that figures to be the norm over the final six weeks of the season.
As more and more younger players get inserted into the lineup, from rookie tackle Korey Cunningham to rookie wide receiver Jalen Tolliver, the more Rosen is likely to have to get in their face and make sure they’re doing what he needs them to do.
“I’m just trying to do as best as I can in the situation,” Rosen said after practice on Wednesday. “… I’m just trying to take care as much as I can in my game and make sure everyone else is on top of theirs. However, I need to get that across to them, it’s just kind of on an individual basis.
“I’m not like MF-ing guys all over the field. I’m encouraging and trying to get guys on the right track – along with myself.”
It’s a natural transition for any young quarterback. They know they have to flip that switch at some point and learn how to drop the rookie label from their identity to lead an entire team. For some, it takes longer than others. Rosen, though, has been ready for this challenge and he’s living up to that side of the equation even while he and the Cardinals keep getting their teeth kicked in.
“He’s eased into it, but once he switched it, it hit,” offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich said. “The thing is with Josh, the guys know what type of work he’s put in and the guys will follow him. They know he brings energy to our team. You guys see it. With the position comes that type of command and those are things you have to do, especially on this level, the National Football League.
“But it makes it easier for them guys when it’s coming from Josh because they understand the work he’s putting in. They see this kid battling with them. They’ve been in tough situations with him. They’re winning games. They’re losing games. That’s building something that all good football teams must have and we’re in the process of doing that.”
It can’t be easy for a 21-year-old to get on the case of a 35-year-old future Hall of Fame wide receiver, but Rosen isn’t afraid to snap at Larry Fitzgerald. Everyone is fair game once you get inside the huddle and the quarterback demands perfection and your full attention.
Tackle D.J. Humphries mentioned it a couple of week ago when there was too much gabbing going on while Rosen was trying to call out the next play and the rookie had to stop and, using some colorful language, tell the players to shut up.
“Yes, when they’re screwing up, it’s easy to do,” Leftwich said. “It’s easy when it’s the truth. It can’t be fake. Josh is not a fake guy. As long as you’re telling the right guys the right thing. For the most part, guys don’t mind that. Guys in this league, it don’t hurt at all. They’ve been cussed out there whole life if they’ve been on any football team.
“They know how to handle those situations well. When it comes from Josh and it’s the right thing to say, guys tend to listen.”
Fitzgerald, for one, said he wouldn’t have it any other way. If your starting quarterback isn’t dogging somebody for something, Fitzgerald said, then he isn’t doing his job. And through eight games and seven starts, Fitzgerald likes what he sees out of the first-round pick from UCLA.