To the pine with Sam Bradford.
The Arizona Cardinals have made a quarterback switch, handing the team over to first-rounder Josh Rosen in time for Sunday's home tussle with the Seattle Seahawks.
Coach Steve Wilks made the announcement Monday, one day after throwing Rosen into the lineup with 4:31 left in a game that saw Arizona trailing the Bears, 16-14.
That would remain the final score as Rosen moved the offense 30 yards over eight plays to the Chicago 45-yard line before throwing a ball that was picked off by cornerback Bryce Callahan. The rookie took the field for one more drive that saw time run out as Rosen was sacked to the turf.
"Josh plays with a lot of confidence," Wilks said Monday. "I think he gives the opportunity to be able to be successful. When you look at the situation when he went into the game -- I didn't have a problem putting him in at the time because again I know he's very confident in what he's doing. ... I think he handled it well. He went in, commanded the huddle, did a great job moving the ball."
Wilks drew criticism for shoving Rosen into a rugged, late-game situation against a Bears defense sporting the likes of Khalil Mack, but the change was bound to come sooner than later.
Bradford's attempt at leading the Cardinals generated some of the more unwatchable offense league-wide to go with an 0-3 start. Asked Monday who Rosen's backup would be -- veteran Mike Glennon is also in the mix -- Wilks wouldn't commit to anyone, saying: "I'll let you guys know."
Rosen was seen by draft experts as perhaps the most pro-ready of this year's rookie signal-callers, but he's also mired on a low-wattage team struggling to find its way.
Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald looms as an asset along with stellar running back David Johnson, but the line remains an issue. It's bottom of the barrel as run blockers and ranked dead last by Pro Football Focus as pass-protectors.
Not ideal conditions for a newbie signal-caller, but first-round quarterbacks rarely find themselves attached to mini-juggernauts. Rosen will take his lumps, but everything he showed at UCLA suggests someone with a promising future.
That future begins now.
That part is for later. For now, it's Rosen's day to lead the news in the Copper State.
