Rosen to critics: I don't need football, but 'still I give everything to it'
Josh Rosen has heard it all and he realizes the misconceptions may be hurting his draft stock.
The UCLA quarterback and potential top pick in this year's draft attempted to set the record straight in a Q-and-A interview with ESPN's Sam Alipour.
Rosen acknowledged he's been compared to superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers, yet off-the-field concerns could see him make a similar draft-day slide to the Green Bay Packer.
"Yeah, it's as frustrating as Baker Mayfield hearing the Johnny Manziel comparisons. I just don't think it's true," Rosen said. "But it's up to me to prove them wrong. If it persists, it's my fault for not silencing it."
Working against Rosen are the narratives that he's entitled, disliked by teammates, and too outspoken. He's also been branded with the "rich kid" tag. Pundits have used his father's standing as a spine surgeon and his mother's status as a Princeton grad as an opportunity to question Rosen's love for the game of football.
"OK, my family isn't, like, stupid-wealthy. But I'm coming from a place where if football doesn't work out, I don't have to work at McDonald's," Rosen said.
"Other NFL players had the same opportunities. I just haven't tried to hide it or fool teams into thinking I'm someone I'm not. My passion for this game lies in the game, not my need to play it. Tons of players needed this game, needed the money, played it out of obligation and burned out. I don't need it and still I give everything to it."
Rosen is competing with the likes of Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, and Mayfield to be the first quarterback taken off the board in two weeks' time.
Asked directly which player is the best prospect, Rosen flashed some of his trademark confidence.
"I'm the best QB in the draft. A lot of guys are flashier, but I think I'm the most efficient, monotonously consistent QB in the draft," he said. "Rodgers has some flair, but if you watch Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, there's nothing that's explosive or Johnny Manziel - like. It's just quarterbacking."
The 2018 NFL Draft begins April 26.