After weeks of rumors hinting that the Arizona Cardinals will use their No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, last year’s starting quarterback, Josh Rosen, finally opened up on the issue and discussed how he feels about his future in the league as an incoming second-year player.
As quoted by Sports Illustrated on Thursday, Rosen’s recent interview with SITV saw the former UCLA signal-caller comment on the rumors suggesting that he could be traded by the Cardinals in order to make way for Murray. Rosen admitted that he finds the trade talk “annoying,” but also acknowledged that it’s also something that one can expect when playing professional football. He also talked about his experiences during the 2018 NFL season, where the Cardinals finished with a league-worst 3-13 win-loss record.
“It’s annoying, but it is what it is. Football’s a business, and I definitely respect the higher-ups and their decisions,” Rosen remarked.
“We won three games, and each one of those wins—to me, it felt like we won the Super Bowl. And that feeling is so intoxicating, and that’s why I just want nothing more than to be part of a team next year and have the same opportunities to go out and compete.”
As the Cardinals are still expected to draft Murray, who won the 2018 Heisman Trophy, with the first overall pick later this month, Rosen also told SITV that his focus for the meantime is to control only the things that he can control, just as many people had advised him through the years. He added that regardless whether he gets traded or not, it would be his “duty” to prove the Cardinals right if they keep him on the roster and to “prove them wrong” if he gets traded elsewhere.
Josh Rosen Broke His Silence And Threw Some Shade At The Cardinals As Trade Rumors Continue To Swirl https://t.co/6qlLBz1fo9
— BroBible (@BroBible) April 19, 2019
In his first NFL season as the 10th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Josh Rosen had his share of difficulties in transitioning to the pro game, as he threw for just 2,278 yards with 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, placing him last in ESPN’s Total QBR rankings for the 2018 season, per Bleacher Report . He has, however, reportedly drawn interest from a number of NFL teams, including the New York Giants, whose starting quarterback, Eli Manning, turned 38-years-old earlier this year.
Despite the apparent need to replace Manning with a young quarterback who could lead the team in the near future, the Giants have been cagey when asked about the possibility of Rosen joining the team. According to Bleacher Report , Giants general manager Dave Gettleman recently chose not to comment on the matter, simply saying that he’s “not going there” when he was interviewed by reporters on Thursday.
