Traded but not yet gone, former Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen had one more thing to do before packing up his stuff and moving to Florida.
He appeared at Larry Fitzgerald‘s Celebrity Softball Game on Saturday. According to the Arizona Republic, Rosen specifically stayed for that event.
“I think that’s just a testament to who he is as a man,” Fitzgerald said. “He could have very easily gone down to Miami already, or just said, ‘Hey, I’m not gonna do it,’ but it shows you his commitment, his character, and just friendship. I’m very fortunate to call him a friend. Looking forward to seeing him do great things in Miami.”
Per the Republic, Rosen received a standing ovation before winning the home run derby and ultimately being named MVP of the game. He also addressed the crowd.
“I just want to say thank you to everybody,” Rosen said. “We didn’t win as many games as I would have hoped, but I had a great time and an unbelievable year. Sad to see it up, but new chapters, new beginnings, and I’m excited for things to come. I’ll always be a Cardinal and root for you guys for as long as I’m on my feet.”
“I don’t think anybody could have handled it more professionally than he has,” Fitzgerald said. “I mean he’s been a consummate professional throughout this whole process. And, you know, I think he’s got a lot of people’s respect for the way he conducted himself. And I know all of us are rooting for him in his next stop.”
Plenty of other people will be rooting for Rosen, too. Despite the knocks he took prior to the 2018 draft for (God forbid) having opinions and being willing to share them, Rosen has handled himself admirably over the past few months. And, frankly, the Cardinals should have kept him.
What if Kyler Murray isn’t as good as he’s expected to be? What if he gets injured? The Cardinals will wish they’d kept Rosen and the three years, $6.2 million remaining on his contract.
It’s unclear why the Cardinals believed Murray and Rosen couldn’t coexist, for a year or maybe longer. Maybe the manner in which Rosen has handled himself shows that they could have.