CB Patrick Peterson talks to the media before the Cardinals' annual charity golf tournament at Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler.
When Josh Rosen met the Arizona media for the first time on Friday, the polarizing quarterback was asked which misconception he most wanted to clear up.
The Cardinals' first-round pick had no shortage of options, as detractors shot plenty of arrows at him in the months-long buildup to the draft. For Rosen, one criticism stood out among all others: the belief he wasn't dedicated to the sport.
"Throughout the scouting process, you had to come up with answers to try and convince people you love the game," Rosen said. "I'm lucky now. I got picked. I can just show people."
Unbeknownst to the public, Rosen began showing it immediately upon joining the Cardinals.
Patrick Peterson spoke with reporters prior to the team's annual charity golf tournament on Thursday morning at the Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler. The Pro Bowl cornerback said Rosen sent him a text message "literally ten minutes, probably, after he left the (draft) stage." It was the first time a rookie ever reached out to Peterson, and it wasn't just a cursory hello.
"The first message was like a ten-page message," Peterson said. "I'm like, 'God, dang, why are you texting me this for? I'm freakin' enjoying dinner with my wife right now.' But he's a young guy that I can tell, he gets it early."
The messages didn't subside in the ensuing days. Rosen is asking for advice on where to live, how to get his body ready for a 16-game season and how to be a leader. Peterson was taken aback when told Rosen's passion for the game was a red flag heading into the draft.
"He doesn't love football?" Peterson said. "I couldn't tell."
Another supposed issue is Rosen’s cockiness, but Peterson may be the wrong person to ask about that. Peterson has long crowned himself the best cornerback in the NFL, and that bravado hasn't kept him from earning seven Pro Bowls in seven NFL seasons.
"When Tom Brady says he wants to win Super Bowl after Super Bowl, is that being cocky?" Peterson said. "He's a competitor. That's what it's about. You want to make sure you put your team in the best position possible. Playing the game, you have to have confidence. You can't lack confidence. You can't shy away. You have to be able to get in your own head and make sure you do whatever you need to do to make sure you're in the best position possible. And if talking yourself up does that, so be it."
While the outside concerns aren't likely to quiet down until Rosen proves himself in the field, Peterson is confident the young quarterback will arrive next week with the right mentality.
"He's a guy that really, really wants it," Peterson said. "I'm excited to see him come in."
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