Once considered one of the best quarterbacks in his draft class, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Rosen signed with the Minnesota Vikings.
Rosen, 25, signed as a practice squad quarterback with the 11-3 NFC contender. He previously competed on the Bucs practice squad during the 2020 season. Instead of the No. 10 draft pick becoming a successor to Tom Brady, Rosen’s stint ended when the San Francisco 49ers snatched him late that season. Since, Rosen has bounced around the league more.
The more I think about Josh Rosen learning from Tom Brady the happier I get. Both are California kids. Both are uber confident. The biggest decision I think will be if Rosen wants to stick around. I hope he’s the successor to Brady in Tampa.
Key word: Patience.
Rosen became the backup quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons in 2021 and made two pass attempts against the Bucs late in a 48-25 blowout that season, won by the Bucs. He then signed with the Cleveland Browns in July this year, but the team released him from the practice squad in October.
A practice squad is a surprising spot for a former top-10 pick such as Rosen, but his time in the league hasn’t worked as planned. The Arizona Cardinals drafted him in 2018 after former Bucs head coach Bruce Arians‘ tenure in Glendale.
As a rookie, Rosen threw for 2,278 yards and 11 touchdowns versus 14 interceptions in 14 games. Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich worked with Rosen at the time in the desert.
Arizona gave up on Rosen after one season and chose Kyler Murray No. 1 in the 2019 NFL Draft. Rosen then played for the Miami Dolphins where his career fizzled more with 567 yards passing and one touchdown versus five picks in just three games played.
Arians Wanted to Develop Rosen
Arians notably welcomed Rosen in 2020 with the Bucs and hoped to develop him. The Bucs had Brady and Blaine Gabbert on the roster and Ryan Griffin on the practice squad.
“I think it was an excellent move. Josh wanted to be here,” Arians said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times in 2020. “We wanted him here. I really liked him coming out [of college]. Byron had him for eight or nine games as a starter with a really bad football team. He was around Miami, he learned, he’s sharp, he’s big — he’s got everything you’re looking for, so it’s a great guy to groom.”
Kyle Trask in Danger of Rosen Route With Bucs
It made sense for the Bucs to add a young quarterback such as Rosen to develop with Brady at age 43 at the time in 2020. After the Bucs let Rosen go to San Francisco, the Super Bowl LV champions drafted quarterback Kyle Trask in the second round of the 2021 draft.
Some big time throws by #GoBucs QB Kyle Trask last night…good poise in the pocket and did better using his feet to create throwing lanes when first option wasn’t open. Daily improvement with reps.
Trask, a former Florida star, hasn’t seen the field in nearly two seasons behind Brady and Gabbert. Speculation if Trask would take the reins arose when Brady briefly retired in the 2022 offseason, but the seven-time Super Bowl winner returned after a 41-day retirement.
The Bucs then chose Gabbert as the primary backup quarterback in training camp. Trask showed flashes of solid play but landed with the third-string spot.
Since, Trask remains a healthy scratch for almost all regular season games. Only Brady has taken snaps this season — including the Bucs’ 35-7 loss at San Francisco this season.
Tampa Bay may have to look more at Trask in the offseason again if Brady retires or moves on to a new team. Time will tell if Trask emerges as a franchise quarterback or becomes a journeyman similar to Rosen.
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Ex-Bucs QB, Former NFL 1st-Round Pick, Signs With NFC Contender