Josh Rosen’s future is still with the Miami Dolphins
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins will likely carry three quarterbacks on their roster this year making Josh Rosen an important part of the team.
There has been questions about Josh Rosen’s future with the Miami Dolphins now that Tua Tagovailoa has been earmarked as the franchise’s future. Rest assured, for now, he will remain with the team at least for the next year and likely two.
Rosen is under contract through the 2021 season. We can expect him to hit free agency during the 2022 off-season as the Dolphins will pick up his 5th-year option but it is unlikely he plays under it unless several things happen between now and then.
The first is simple, should Tua ride the bench in 2020 and Ryan Fitzpatrick gets hurt or plays poorly, Rosen would step into the starting role. In that regard, should he excel and play well, the Dolphins could showcase him for a potential trade ahead of 2021. That same scenario would hold true in 2021 if Tua doesn’t play.
With Fitzpatrick only on a one year deal now, Rosen is the defacto back-up moving beyond 2020 for the 2021 season. That is where his value to the team is now. Once his contract is up, Miami will need to reassess but it would be surprising if Rosen chose to stay in Miami with a new deal given the fact Tua is the long-term hope.
There is no guarantee that Tua is active to start the year. My guess would be he would start the season on the IR with a designation to return. That puts the Dolphins is a good spot to keep one extra roster spot on the team and give Rosen more time to possibly get on the field. The Dolphins need to see Rosen, maybe more than they did last year. If Rosen can show anything, he has the potential to draw trade interest.
Make no mistake, his value will not be high even if he lights up the league. He will not have a job over Tua and his contract will not get redone with a top QB salary. His future with Miami has a two-year life at best. For now however, he is the primary back-up and we should see him play this year especially if the Dolphins get off to a slow start under Fitzpatrick.