He's confident, outspoken and, at times, a tad inflammatory.
Arizona Cardinals fans can take it or leave it: Josh Rosen isn't about to change his ways.
"I thought I should have been picked at 1, 2 or 3. I dropped, and I was pissed. I was really, really angry," the always-blunt quarterback said after he was selected by the Cardinals with the 10th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft on Thursday night.
"I thought I was going to have to put on a face and try and fake happiness (when I was finally drafted), but for some reason, right when I got that call (from the Cardinals), that’s not what happened. I got really happy and really motivated. All I wanted to do is get on a plane right then and go straight to Arizona and start working."
The moment the Rosen family became a part of the Cardinals family! #CardsDraft pic.twitter.com/kTxOHysm7A
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) April 27, 2018
Rosen, who threw 59 touchdowns and 26 interceptions during his three seasons at UCLA, has a history of not being shy in the media. In just the last two days, he was critical of former ASU quarterback Blake Barnett (among others) and said all nine players taken ahead of him in the first round were poor choices.
"There were nine mistakes made ahead of me. And I will make sure over the next decade or so that they will know they made a mistake," Rosen said during his post-draft press conference.
.@josh3rosen is already planning his revenge tour 👀 pic.twitter.com/J7NiLkJIzh
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 27, 2018
But regrets? Rosen has none.
"Maybe if I shut up these last three years, I could’ve been picked higher, but I don’t want that. I want to be me, and the Arizona Cardinals know what they’re getting," Rosen said. "They’re not getting a kid that’s going to say stupid things and piss people off unnecessarily; they’re going to get a kid that everyone knows who they’re getting every single day that I walk in the building."
Rosen may have to wait his turn to be the Cardinals' starting quarterback after the team signed free agents Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon. He realizes he has an uphill battle in order to win that starting job -- but it's a challenge the uber-confident Rosen welcomes with open arms.
"I’m not going to come in and — I’m trying to think of a word that’s not a swear word — I’m not going to come in and be an A-hole and think that my s*** don’t stink," Rosen said. "I understand the situation. I’m going to come in and I’m going to be respectful. Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon are both two amazing quarterbacks, but we’re all professionals and we’re going to compete our butts off. And regardless of who the starter is, we’re all going to support that person.
"Obviously I want to be the starter, but if I’m not, I’m going to support the team. I’m not Team Josh Rosen playing on the Arizona Cardinals; I’m part of the Arizona Cardinals, and I want to win Super Bowls for the Arizona Cardinals. I think over time, that’ll work. That’ll happen."
Three NFL teams chose to take other quarterbacks before Arizona traded up to take Rosen at No. 10. Rosen won't forget that, but he's ready to move on, lead the Cardinals to great things and make everyone who passed on him very, very sorry.
"I don’t know, and I don’t care. It's behind me," he said. "I’m an Arizona Cardinal now, and I hope I will be for many, many years to come."
