Four years into his career and Josh Rosen is a bonafide NFL journeyman.
He was on the active roster of three different teams in as many seasons.
But he never panned out in every stop he made.
49ers waived QB Josh Rosen, who now has played for four NFL teams since Arizona drafted him in the first round in 2018. They waived him to claim CB Davontae Harris off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 17, 2021
Lucky for him, the Atlanta Falcons are giving him another lease in the NFL after A.J. McCarron suffered a torn ACL.
Unfortunately, his latest detour is looking like the same story in a different chapter.
Once again, Rosen will be the keeper of the clipboard.
Can’t Find Anything Right
After three seasons at UCLA, the Arizona Cardinals took Rosen with the No. 10 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Sharing his disappointment for hearing his name that late, he publicly declared that nine mistakes were made ahead of him.
A few years later and it looks like he is turning out to be a mistake that he called out.
Breaking 🚨: 49ers Waive QB Josh Rosen #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/crCqxeYFXc
— The Slumpbuster (@SlumpBusterPod) August 17, 2021
The number one draft pick, Baker Mayfield, was able to lead the Cleveland Browns into the playoffs.
With him was cornerback Denzel Ward who was selected three picks after Mayfield.
Meanwhile, Josh Allen led the Buffalo Bills to the AFC Championship Game last season.
Taken three spots before Rosen, Allen signed a six-year, $258 contract extension.
Also selected before Rosen were Saquon Barkley, Bradley Chubb, and Quenton Nelson, who all became Pro Bowlers.
Sadly, Rosen’s run so far is an utter disappointment.
He was named as the Cardinals starter during his rookie season but he only won three games.
A year later, the team drafted Kyler Murray and Rosen was expendable.
The California native made his way to the Miami Dolphins, but he didn’t do much there either.
He lost all three games that he started and made just one touchdown pass.
The Dolphins let him go and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed him to their practice squad.
But his stint there didn’t last because the San Francisco 49ers signed him after Jimmy Garoppolo’s injury.
However, he did not suit up during the regular season.
With Garoppolo returning and Trey Lance emerging, Rosen was once again discarded.
A Glimmer Of Hope
Rosen gets another start with the Falcons, but his time in the limelight is not guaranteed.
Matt Ryan is still the Falcons starting quarterback.
However, it’s uncertain how many years he has left.
He’s already 36 and has three years remaining on his contract.
There’s still a chance that the Falcons will bring back McCarron, making it a three-way battle for Ryan’s potential heir.
Welcome to Atlanta, @josh3rosen! Let's work! 😤
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) August 24, 2021
It will be a tall order for Rosen because he will be going up against able competition.
Feleipe Franks is showing some talent while McCarron is a steady pocket passer.
That is if the Falcons will retain Rosen until Ryan retires.
But nothing is certain in the NFL, and three years is a long way to go.
The franchise will always be on the lookout for their next franchise quarterback.
Therefore, Rosen’s window of opportunity to become an NFL starter again is closing slowly.
The Falcons might be the last team that will give him an opportunity to prove himself.
He must make his move if he doesn’t want to be the mistake that he declared when he was drafted.
NEXT: Falcons Trying To Make Most Of Matt Ryan's Remaining Years