In a surprising move, the Miami Dolphins are releasing quarterback Josh Rosen instead of working out a trade for him, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday.
The Dolphins could have decided to keep him — and his $750,000 salary — as a backup, but they saw more value in cutting back and recouping some trade value.
It marks the second time Rosen has been jettisoned over the past 17 months and puts a cap on a largely unsuccessful tenure in Miami. It also gives Rosen a fresh start and a rare third chance to salvage his NFL career.
Rosen, 23, was entering his third NFL season with his third team. And yet, he’s younger (by roughly 60 days) than Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow.
Rosen, the Arizona Cardinals‘ 2018 first-round pick, has a 3-13 record in the 20 games he has played.
With the release, the Dolphins have decided they are comfortable going with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tua Tagovailoa as their lone QBs throughout the 2020 season. It’s likely the Dolphins will add a practice squad quarterback, with Jake Rudock, who was on the Dolphins’ 2019 practice squad, an option.
Tagovailoa will be active for the Dolphins on game days some 10 months after suffering a devastating hip injury while playing for Alabama. He has looked healthy and mobile throughout training camp, but there was still some uncertainty about whether the Dolphins would feel comfortable with their 2020 first-round pick being one snap away from playing.
Rosen was part of a three-man quarterback competition in Dolphins training camp, but he never really gave expected starter Fitzpatrick much of a push. He also couldn’t hold off Tagovailoa, who showed significant improvement this offseason.
Rosen was traded to Miami during draft weekend in April 2019 for a 2019 second-round pick and a 2020 fifth-round pick. That move hasn’t worked out so far for Miami, and there hasn’t been a clear path for Rosen to become a starter again with the Dolphins.
Rosen started three games last season for the Dolphins, completing 53% of his passes for 567 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions. He entered the lineup for Fitzpatrick ahead of a Week 3 game at Dallas and was benched for Fitzpatrick during the fourth quarter of a Week 6 game vs. Washington. He didn’t get another opportunity to start again.
For Rosen, the question has not been talent. Dolphins coach Brian Flores said Rosen had the best arm of all the quarterbacks in camp, but he fell behind when it came to the processing part of football — identifying defenses presnap, being able to predict changing coverages and disguising linebackers, and ultimately being able to let the ball fly accurately and on time. Those are all skills Rosen has spent time working on this offseason in Miami.
“I was drafted in the first round, and I think people around the league still think I can play to a certain extent. Whenever that opportunity comes, wherever it comes, I just want to be prepared for it,” Rosen said last week. “Because they’re few and far between. I didn’t do great with the two I already had. Not many people get third chances. I’m definitely going to seize the opportunity when it comes.”