Arthur Smith Reveals Plan for QB Josh Rosen
The Atlanta Falcons signed quarterback Josh Rosen on Tuesday morning. They unexpectedly found themselves in need of another quarterback after backup A.J. McCarron tore the ACL in his knee on Saturday night against the Dolphins.
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Rosen, a former No. 10 overall pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018, will only have four days of practice before Atlanta's final preseason game on Sunday night against the Cleveland Browns.
Rosen will get a crash course this week, because Falcons head coach Arthur Smith says Rosen will play on Sunday.
"Our plan for Josh is obviously give him a fair shot this week," said Smith after practice on Wednesday. "We've got to get him ready to play; he's gonna play Sunday night. How long, we'll determine on Saturday, but you're gonna see him out there. And that's the only fair thing to do. We've got to figure out this backup quarterback spot, so you'll see him play some point Sunday night."
Asked how Rosen looked his first day as a Falcon, and Smith answered with in his customary reserved manner.
"You know, this is day one. I'm not a big hot-take guy. He's done everything we've asked him so far. We'll go in there and add some more plays for him tomorrow and see how he handles it.
Starting quarterback Matt Ryan has yet to take a snap in the preseason. It seems unlikely that he'll go the entire preseason, like nearly all of Atlanta's starters, without getting at least some game action.
Feleipe Franks, who is also battling for the backup quarterback spot, got an extended look Saturday against Miami. He entered the game in the first quarter after McCarron went down, and he played the rest of the game.
While Franks has shown flashes of athleticism, his passing hasn't been sharp. He was 4 of 9 for 46 yards and an interception against the Dolphins.
How much Rosen plays will depend on several factors. How much action will Ryan see? How much of Atlanta's offense can he pick up in four days? How much more of Franks does Smith want to see on Sunday.
We'll get answers to all of those questions when the Falcons take on the Browns Sunday night at 8:00 PM. Rosen has bounced around the NFL in his four seasons. Atlanta is his fifth team in years, but on Sunday, he'll get a fair shot at being the backup quarterback for the Falcons.
