With quarterback Deshaun Watson’s suspension for his sexual misconduct allegations now set at 11 games, the Cleveland Browns are moving forward with their contingency plan.
QB2 Jacoby Brissett is fully expected to step in during Watson’s mandated absence and at least attempt to keep the team afloat, especially during its tough stretch of games in October and November.
To back up Brissett, the Browns have brought in additional quarterbacks by the name of Joshua Dobbs and Josh Rosen.
Neither of them has been expected to see any real action unless Brissett gets injured, which would represent a worst-case scenario for Cleveland.
However, NFL insider Josina Anderson issued a tweet on Thursday that has some around the league scratching their heads.
Keep an eye on how things are going with QB Josh Rosen in Cleveland…
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 25, 2022
Could Rosen Really Get The Start In Week 1?
As of now, it’s hard to imagine Rosen starting under center once the regular season begins.
His pro career has been extremely lackluster, and this is the sixth team he has been a member of as he enters only his fifth NFL season.
However, prior to that, he was quite a shimmering star in college while at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Rosen captured lots of national attention as a rookie, throwing 245 consecutive passes without an interception and winning numerous individual awards, including The Sporting News’ Freshman of the Year honor.
After an injury-plagued sophomore campaign, he had a whale of a junior season, throwing 3,756 yards and 26 touchdowns while leading the Bruins to the Cactus Bowl (he couldn’t play in that contest due to a concussion).
Josh Rosen really pulled a fake spike touchdown to beat Texas A&M back in 2017. So sick 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GkU94a8DyI
— Saturday Gameday (@SaturdayGameday) August 18, 2022
Rosen was the 10th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and shortly after the Arizona Cardinals took him, he made a statement that, at the time, seemed like it came from a place of optimistic confidence.
I think about this Josh Rosen quote a lot pic.twitter.com/KausRdL88y
— Blake Garman (@FrostedBlakes34) August 21, 2022
But as time went on, it looked like no mistakes were made ahead of that. 10 draft picks.
Rosen had a forgettable rookie season, throwing more interceptions (14) than touchdowns while posting a meager passer rating of 66.7.
He has played in only 10 games in the three seasons since, starting only three of them while continuing to have major problems protecting the ball, managing just one touchdown pass against seven interceptions.
The former Bruin was benched during the 2019 campaign by the Dolphins, and he has seemingly never recovered since.
In retrospect, Rosen’s draft day statement seems like a mixture of arrogance and possibly insecurity.
What Fans Are Saying About Anderson’s Tweet
There are plenty of Browns fans across Twitter who seem to think Anderson’s cryptic tweet means Rosen will end up getting the starting job over Brissett for Week 1.
Josh Rosen starting week 1 confirmed https://t.co/bjSRldVTRH
— Nick Wilson (@NickWilsonSays) August 25, 2022
BREAKING: Josh Rosen declared starter for the season #Browns per SOURCES https://t.co/fb9VaY3VwJ
— the Special Brownie (@Brownies4dabois) August 25, 2022
It’s not exactly something many Browns fans want to see happen.
Josh Rosen 2022 camp highlights 😤 #NFLTwitter https://t.co/7LIPrAmhmL
— FROG (@FROGdfs_) August 25, 2022
Josh Rosen in Cleveland pic.twitter.com/MdggpC96uH
— Chubbhub (@brownstown05) August 25, 2022
One fan seems to think the tweet may have to do with a brewing trade for a certain proven QB who has been linked to the Browns for a while.
Okay. The only thing that comes to mind regarding Josh Rosen is that he was in SF for a minute. Could be part of a Jimmy G trade. I didn’t think we were serious about Jimmy G but I can’t think of any other reason Josh Rosen would be relevant to anything. #brownies .
— BrownsTouchdownSunglasses (@BrownsTDShades) August 25, 2022
There have been no indications, at least publicly, that Rosen has any real chance of leapfrogging Brissett on the depth chart, but these are the Browns, and Browns fans seem to expect the unexpected.