The San Francisco 49ers postponed quarterback Josh Rosen on Tuesday, sending the previous No. 10 overall pick back to a questionable football future.
With Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance established as the Niners’ top two quarterbacks and veteran Nate Sudfeld beating Rosen in the fight for a potential third spot on the depth chart, Rosen became extra when San Francisco claimed cornerback Davontae Harris from the Baltimore Ravens on waivers.
Hence closes a generally short spell with the 49ers for Rosen, who never showed up in an ordinary season game for the team after it signed him from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ practice squad on Dec. 23, 2020. The 49ers re-signed Rosen on Feb. 8 in trusts he could push for the No. 3 job, however Rosen’s battles in camp mounted over the recent weeks.
“I think he started off real well,” coach Kyle Shanahan said on Aug. 8. “I think he’s taken a couple of steps back the last few practices. You know, it was unfortunate on that. We were supposed to go to someone and we had a busted route, so then it kind of fell apart and he tried to overcompensate and he made a bad situation worse.”
Rosen, 24, played the vast majority of the second half in last week’s preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, going 10-of-15 for 93 yards with an interception in a 19-16 loss. After the game, Rosen discussed the amount he preferred playing in Shanahan’s system however noticed the hardships in getting into a beat when you’re not getting however many reps as the top two quarterbacks.
“It’s been a pleasure,” Rosen said. “I really look forward to coming to work every day and Kyle is a brilliant offensive coordinator/head coach. … Just coming to work every day, it’s really fun playing football. I like playing for these guys, I like playing with this team. So, in general, it’s very positive, I’ve had a lot of fun.”
The Arizona Cardinals initially selected Rosen with the tenth pick in the 2018 NFL draft out of UCLA. He was traded to the Miami Dolphins the next year and afterward arrived on the Buccaneers’ practice squad on Sept. 8, 2020. The 49ers signed him to their active roster in December following wounds to Garoppolo and backup Nick Mullens.
