Top 5 most head-scratching moves in Arizona Cardinals history
By Sion Fawkes
Drafting Josh Rosen in 2018
In 2018, the Arizona Cardinals were desperate to find their next franchise quarterback. It was an up-and-down season for the Cardinals in 2017, which eventually saw the injury and subsequent retirement of Carson Palmer. Fast-forward to the 2018 NFL Draft, and the talent-starved Cardinals selected Josh Rosen.
This one was a head-scratcher on many levels. While Rosen displayed the size and natural talent warranted of becoming an NFL quarterback, he never lit up the NCAA, and he constantly struggled with injuries. Further, during his time as a starter at UCLA, the Bruins finished with records of 8-5, 4-8, and 6-7, with Rosen playing in 30 of those 38 contests.
The Cardinals selected Rosen nonetheless and paired him with rookie head coach Steve Wilks. Unfortunately, this one had disaster written all over it from the time Rosen made his infamous “nine mistakes” remark.
Even worse, Lamar Jackson was still on the board. Jackson, who struggled as a passer at Louisville, probably would have taken the Cardinals further because of his dual-threat ability. But, remember, the Cardinals had little to work within 2018, with Patrick Peterson serving as the team’s lone Pro Bowler.
And while we don’t know if Jackson would have seen the same success in the desert, he at least would have made things a bit more interesting. Instead, Rosen flamed out after one season, and the Cardinals drafted Kyler Murray, the subject of our final slide.