UCLA Football: What is left for Josh Rosen to play for?
There is a possibility that UCLA Football’s Josh Rosen does not play against Utah due to an injury sustained last week against Washington. With the Bruins now 4-4, should Rosen call it a season or should he “tough” it out?
There is still a lot for Josh Rosen to play for. Though we do not know who will take the field on Friday night between Rosen or his back up Devon Monster when the UCLA Football team takes on the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City, if it is indeed Rosen, there is still a lot to prove despite where the team as a whole is at.
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Sitting at 4-4, Head Coach Jim Mora’s seat is getting very hot. The Bruins have once again failed to live up to expectations this season, and this is with four regular season games left to play.
Battling to win the South Division, the Pac-12 title or getting to a New Year’s Six bowl is out, but there are still a few things Rosen can accomplish. But should he forge ahead or hang up his cleats and get healthy for the NFL Draft?
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The idea came up in a recent episode of the ‘What’s Bruin Show’ podcast where my co-hosts brought up the topic. Essentially, it was argued that Rosen, with the state of the UCLA Football program up in the air, should not risk further injury and prep for the NFL Draft, similar to former Bruin LB Myles Jack’s exit (though hopefully not as awkward).
Against Washington, it was speculated that Rosen may have suffered a head injury in the first frame of the contest. By the 4th quarter, Rosen had to leave the game because it appeared he had also injured his non-throwing hand. Mora has stated that even if he does not practice this week, he could be available for Utah.
If he can play, completely free of injury, he should. Aside from risk of more injuries, which every football player is subject to, Rosen should consider playing for several reasons:
- UCLA is just two games away from becoming bowl eligible and should aim for that goal
- Beating USC
- If UCLA gets to a bowl (any bowl), Rosen should play for his first post-season victory
- Though he is no longer in contention for the Heisman, he can still put up impressive numbers in the last four games of the season, which leads to…
- The biggest reason – he can still improve his draft stock
Not to put too much on Rosen, because if he is injured, then yes, wrap it up and get ready for the draft. But if he is good to go, Rosen has a chance to go out and silence his critics who have called him out all season long.
Whether it is an NFL scout knocking him for his off-field antics and questioning his dedication or a game announcer who questions his toughness as ESPN’s Brock Guard did in the Washington game, Rosen can prove them all wrong and show the nation that he is indeed one of the best quarterbacks to come out of this season. One that could be a factor in the NFL.
On top of it, Rosen is not a quitter. After last season when he was done for the year six games in after injuring his shoulder, he worked his behind off and fought back to lead the Bruins into the 2017 season. His production, aided by Offensive Coordinator Jedd Fisch, made the Bruins one of the most explosive offenses early in the season.
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There is no doubt Rosen has fight, fight, fight in him, so if he can play the remainder of the season, he probably should. What doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger.