The inevitable finally happened. One year after trading up to select quarterback Josh Rosen, the Arizona Cardinals have shipped the second-year quarterback to the Miami Dolphins. In exchange, Arizona received the 48th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Rosen, a UCLA product, started the 2018 season as Arizona’s backup but quickly assumed starting duties after quarterback Sam Bradford was benched for ineffectiveness.
Update: The Dolphins also received a 2020 fifth-round pick
Arizona Cardinals Trade Josh Rosen to Miami Dolphins
General manager Steve Keim and the Arizona Cardinals traded up in the 2018 NFL Draft to select Josh Rosen as their quarterback of the future. Rosen, the fourth quarterback selected in the 2018 NFL Draft, started the season backing up Sam Bradford. However, Bradford struggled under center and Arizona turned to Rosen after just three games.
During Rosen’s lone season as the starter, the UCLA product completed 55.2% of his passes for 2,278 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. The Cardinals went 3-10 in his starts and Pro Football Focus ranked Rosen as the 37th-best quarterback in the league.
Despite the bad numbers, it’s hard to blame Rosen for everything that happened. Offensive coordinator Mike McCoy was fired midway through the season, the offense didn’t have any playmakers, and Football Outsiders ranked Arizona’s offensive line as the seventh-worst pass-blocking line in the league. According to NFL Network’s Ben Fennell, Rosen was sacked 17 times in under 2.5 seconds, most in the league. After the disappointing season, the Cardinals front office fired head coach Steve Wilks and replaced him with former NFL backup quarterback Kliff Kingsbury.
Prior to joining the NFL, Rosen spent three seasons with UCLA. Appearing in 30 total games, Rosen completed 60.9% of his passes for 9,340 yards, 59 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. His best season came as a Junior in 2017. Appearing in 11 games, Rosen completed 62.6% of his passes for 3,756 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. His touchdowns, yards, and completion percentages were all the highest of his career.
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