Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Chad O’Shea: We want Josh Rosen to ask why

Josh Rosen

Miami Dolphins NFL football quarterback Josh Rosen gives a thumbs up as he leaves after speaking at a news conference, Monday, April 29, 2019, at the Dolphins training facility in Davie, Fla. The Dolphins traded a 2019 second-round draft pick and a 2020 fifth-round selection to Arizona for Rosen. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

AP

During his rookie season, quarterback Josh Rosen said he “will not run a play on a football field unless I know why we’re running it.”

That’s not the main reason why Rosen was traded from the Cardinals to the Dolphins last month, but Rosen’s willingness to ask questions and speak his mind has led to some critical reactions dating back to his time at UCLA. On Thursday, Dolphins offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea said that any questions from Rosen about why the offense is doing something will be met with a more positive response.

“It’s important,” O’Shea said, via the Palm Beach Post. “Players should want to know why. It’s something we encourage, to learn the whys. If they’re not inquisitive about the whys then they’re never really going to conceptually understand the offense. So I think that Josh is highly intelligent, just like Ryan [Fitzpatrick] and Jake [Rudock] are, so having smart guys is a good thing. Those guys aren’t afraid to ask why. And we’re not afraid to answer it.”

O’Shea said he was encouraged by the fact that Rosen has “dealt with some adversity” since entering the NFL as “mental toughness” is one of the things the team will be looking for at quarterback. He also praised Fitzpatrick’s leadership and said the eventual starter will get “what they earn” over the next few months.