Dolphins QB Josh Rosen benched, and people are starting to feel for him

Poor Josh Rosen.

Yet again, the former Arizona Cardinals quarterback is getting the short end of the stick as he endures the obscure existence of being a quarterback on the Miami Dolphins, whose management has shown little interest in winning this season as the team has gone an impressively-consistent 0-5.

After losing a nailbiter to the resilient Washington Redskins this past week, 17-16, the Dolphins announced Wednesday that Rosen will no longer be the starting quarterback, and the team will move forward with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The move comes one week after Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said Rosen would start for the rest of the season and mere hours after Rosen’s replacement in Arizona, Kyler Murray, won NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Dolphins announced that Josh Rosen was “settled” as their starter for the remainder of the season this week. They just benched him for Ryan Fitzpatrick.

— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) October 13, 2019

Rosen this week started against Washington and went 15-of-25 on pass attempts (60%) for 85 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. He was sacked five times. Fitzpatrick came on in relief and completed 12-of-18 passes for 132 yards, a touchdown and no picks.

Former Arizona Cardinals QB Kurt Warner responded to a tweet that questioned why Rosen is allegedly not being put in a position to succeed when Fitzpatrick was able to play better. He explained a lot of it had to do with the situation.

Not same things going on – a few guys made plays ok short passes, Fitz made a great throw on 30 yrd to Gesicki & Wash played softer and he took mostly checkdowns vs prevent D which Wash didn’t play whole game!

— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) October 14, 2019

It’s not as though Rosen is an impoverished and downtrodden young man trying to find footing in life, as the 22-year-old is playing on a four-year, $17 million deal that he got after being picked 10th overall by the Cardinals just last year. Still, it’s hard to argue that the former UCLA Bruin has been set up for success.

In case you missed it, the Dolphins traded away Laremy Tunsil, Mikah Fitzpatrick and Kenny Stills before the start of this season. That only downgrades a Miami team that went 7-9 last year and fired its head coach. Most seem to believe, understandably, that Miami is tanking.

Even before that, Rosen was put in Arizona, an organization that had major issues with its offensive line, lacked depth at the receiver position, changed offensive coordinators midseason and hired a defense-first head coach, only to fire him at the end of the year and then trade Rosen elsewhere.

And let’s not forget his time at UCLA under head coach Jim Mora, who only helped fuel unflattering narratives about Rosen’s personality and character going into the draft.

So, the narrative seems to be shifting that Rosen really hasn’t been given a fair shot:

No matter what u think of @josh3rosen performance to this point in NFL – to make any evals or place any blame on him after yesterday is ridiculous!! Has no chance w/ the things going around him – no easy throws, pressures almost every snap, concepts not getting guys open, etc…

— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) October 14, 2019

I feel terrible for Josh Rosen.

— Adam Schein (@AdamSchein) October 13, 2019

I know the Dolphins are tanking…. but declaring Josh Rosen as the starter for the remainder of the season, then benching him after one more half is coaching ineptitude. https://t.co/7ymLjOJnsJ

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) October 13, 2019

Not sure any 1st round drafted QB has ever been set up to fail in so many ways.

— Jeff Beck (@j3ffro) October 13, 2019

Poor guy has never gotten a fair chance; been set up to fail from day one

— Brian Courtney (@CourtOnSports) October 14, 2019

Exactly

— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) October 14, 2019

As many have pointed out, it could be simultaneously true that Rosen just isn’t good and he also been set up to fail. Those two things aren’t mutually exclusive.

Still, Rosen getting less-than-ideal circumstances left and right hasn’t allowed anyone to truly know what his potential is.

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