Josh Rosen should be the Dolphins’ starting QB. Now.

All offseason long, Brian Flores and the Dolphins’ coaching staff continued to motivate Josh Rosen, for better or worse.

And although Flores chose not to name a starting quarterback heading into Miami’s dress rehearsal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, it was clear Ryan Fitzpatrick was team’s starting quarterback moving forward.  After all, Flores and his staff spent much of OTAs and training camp, stacking the odds against the 22-year old QB from UCLA.  So if Rosen wanted to be the man, he had to beat the man.

And that’s exactly what he did.

During the summer months, Rosen continued to get better, each and every day.  And for a team that has started 19 different QBs over the last two decades.  It was always in their best interest to find out what he can be, sooner rather than later.  Unfortunately, it was never that easy.  And as we saw over the first three weeks of preseason, Flores and Co. are doing whatever they can to assure Fitzpatrick is the week 1 starter.  Even if he looks more like a QB battling Jake Rudock for the back-up job, as opposed to the most important position on an NFL roster.

Which makes you wonder, why?

Why are the Dolphins trying to do whatever it takes to assure Rosen is not the starter week 1 vs Baltimore?  Why have the continued to use the media and other outlets, to motivate their young QB?  No one knows for sure.  But a quick glance at Miami’s first four weeks of the season, could give you a pretty good indication of what is going on behind the scenes in Davie.

At first glance, the Dolphins play four playoff teams to start the 2019 season.  Those teams include the Ravens, Patriots, Cowboys and Chargers.  And although Rosen may look like the guy in Miami.  It is possible Flores believes it’s in the team’s best interest to throw the veteran Fitzpatrick to the wolves, behind one of the worst offensive lines in football. Maybe they believe that if Rosen begins the year vs those top-tier teams, they may not get a chance to evaluate him properly.  And that would be bad.  Because as we learned early on, Miami’s entire 2019 season – aside from developing players- is to get a full evaluation on Rosen.

And whether he is the day one starter, or the team transitions to him during their Week 5 BYE, he will have every opportunity to showcase he can be the long-term answer in Miami.  Even if that means taking a backseat to guy known by many as ‘FitzMagic’.  The problem, however, is this.  EVERYONE knows who Fitzpatrick is.  He’s a player that has done everything right in the league and to this day, continues to get paid lots of money to play a game he loves.  But the verdict is out on the man known as ‘FitzMagic’.  However, the same can not be said about Rosen.  Who in 2018, played behind the worst team in all of football.  And as we mentioned time and time again, has continued to progress throughout the summer month-proving he has what it takes to be a viable starting QB in the league.

In the end, Coach Flores is going to make the decision that he feels is best for the team.  And whether that means naming Fitzpatrick the week 1 starter, or to hand the reigns over to the younger QB with more potential, Flores is going to do things his way. And if there is one thing we’ve learned about Coach Flo during the early stages of his tenure in Miami, it’s that he’s a no BS, straight-forward head coach.  A head coach that has preached all offseason long that the best players would play.  If that is in fact true, the QB competition is over.  Finished.  Done.  Rosen is far and away the best QB on the roster and unlike the 17-year veteran Fitzpatrick, has just scratched the surface of his true potential.

The battle was fun while it lasted, but this is Josh Rosen’s team.  And it would be in the Dolphins best interest to find out what he can become, as soon as possible.  Because if Rosen can be the man in Miami.  They can use the treasure trove of draft picks and plethora of cap space, to build a sustainable winner around him.  Rosen has the tools to be a franchise-caliber QB  and when the dust settles, could go down as one of the best trades in Miami Dolphins’ history.   After all, they don’t call him ‘The Chosen One’ for nothing.

Josh Houtz (@houtz) is on social media all day, posting the stuff you retweet. Or ignore.