Josh Rosen Sticks Around Arizona, Wins MVP at Larry Fitzgerald's Charity Softball Game

It’s been one hell of a week for Josh Rosen. He lost his job as starting quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals to Kyler Murray, had his social media habits intensely studied, and was traded to the Miami Dolphins. It’s a lot to deal with and the second-year player has handled it all remarkably well while those on the outside work stay busy telling you how he hasn’t handled it well.

Rosen released a diplomatic and classy message in which he said all the right things, which is no small thing considering he’s allegedly this selfish monster.

Then he hung around the Phoenix area Saturday night to play in Larry Fitzgerald’s charity softball game. Rosen addressed the crowd, signed autographs, and cut it up with the Cardinals players he’s leaving.

He also won the event’s Home Run Derby and took MVP honors in the actual game.

"“I think that’s just a testament to who he is as a man,” Fitzgerald said. “He could have very easily gone down to Miami already, or just said, ‘Hey, I’m not gonna do it,’ but it shows you his commitment, his character, and just friendship. I’m very fortunate to call him a friend. Looking forward to seeing him do great things in Miami.”"

This whole saga has been an interesting look into the limits and reward systems that exist for media to assess an athlete’s personality from the outside. The loudest and strongest negative takes get the most attention and are often built on fairly specious evidence. Those closer to Rosen have tended to paint a picture of a guy who works hard and isn’t as divisive as the narrative would have you believe.

The past few days we’ve seen the fight between actual actions and reported unseen actions. Rosen has said and — more importantly — done the right things in a difficult spot.