Josh Rosen will sit out UCLA’s appearance in this week’s Cactus Bowl against Kansas State due to concussion treatment. There’s an assumption that his college football career is now over, and there’s a good chance that it is. But it’s not for sure.
According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Rosen would prefer to play for the New York Giants ahead of the Cleveland Browns and is so down on Cleveland that he’s considering returning to Westwood just to avoid the Browns. From the report:
Cleveland is 0-14 and can clinch the No. 1 pick as early as today with a loss to the Chicago Bears or a Giants (2-12) win over the Arizona Cardinals.
The problem, of course, is that the early entrant deadline is Jan. 15 and the 2018 NFL Draft isn’t until late April. Cleveland would be under no obligation to share its plans with Rosen, though presumably the club would shy away from taking a player that does not want to be there. Schefter reported that Rosen’s misgivings “will not dissuade new Browns general manager John Dorsey from taking the player he believes is the best fit for his franchise.”
A former No. 1 quarterback recruit, Rosen is viewed as a possible No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, should he choose to enter. The junior completed 62.6 percent of his 452 passes this season for 3,756 yards (8.3 per attempt) with 26 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. Rosen finished 27th nationally in passing efficiency.