With two years of guaranteed pay remaining on his 2018 rookie deal, quarterback Josh Rosen opted for stability in Tampa Bay after being cut by the Dolphins. Now, Rosen has chosen a chance to audition for a potential job in 2021.
The 49ers’ quarterback position has landed in short-term chaos, with only one healthy quarterback on the roster. By accepting a spot on the roster, Rosen gets an opportunity to impress coach Kyle Shanahan -- along with a possible job with the team next season.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Rosen declined multiple other opportunities to leave Tampa’s practice squad for a 53-man roster. The San Francisco offer was, in Rosen’s view, the right one to accept.
Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard will become free agents in March. Jimmy Garoppolo could be gone. Although it’s a stretch to think Rosen would start, he could earn a spot on the depth chart. If Garoppolo stays, there’s a good chance he’ll get injured again, giving the backup a chance to play.
Rosen has had a rough ride since 2018, but he’s still only 23 years old. There’s plenty of football in front of him, if he finds a place where he can develop and grow.
San Francisco can be that play for Rosen is he realizes right away that his best move will be to learn the offense intimately and to run the plays exactly the way coach Kyle Shanahan want them to be executed, with no freelancing or deviation or anything other than following the predetermined path for the O’s when lined up against the X’s.