Browns Sign Quarterback Josh Rosen, per Report

Cleveland will mark the 25-year-old’s fifth NFL destination since being drafted in 2018.

Editor’s note: This story contains accounts of sexual assault. If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or at https://www.rainn.org.

The Browns signed former top-10 draft pick Josh Rosen to a one-year deal on Thursday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Cleveland #Browns are signing former first-round QB Josh Rosen, per @AdamSchefter pic.twitter.com/7IofCyDjUh

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 21, 2022

This news comes on the same day that a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler claimed that quarterbacks AJ McCarron and Rosen would be working out with the team this week.

Cleveland will mark Rosen’s fifth NFL destination. He was first selected by the Cardinals with the 10th pick in 2018. Coincidentally, the first pick that year was now former Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, who just ended his four-year tenure with the team.

After starting in 13 games his rookie season, Rosen was replaced by Kyler Murray in 2019 and was dealt to the Dolphins. Earlier Thursday, Murray signed a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension with Arizona.

Rosen was waived by Miami ahead of the 2020 season and was picked up by the 49ers late that year before being waived again that offseason. He ended up with the Falcons in 2021, where he backed up Matt Ryan.

The 25-year-old will now join the quarterback room in Cleveland consisting of Deshaun Watson, Jacoby Brissett and Josh Dobbs.

The additional backup help may be needed once the organization learns the results of the NFL’s investigation regarding Watson and sexual misconduct allegations. The quarterback faced 25 civil suits filed by massage therapists, each detailing graphic accounts of sexual harassment and sexual assault that occurred during massage therapy sessions. The accounts range from Watson allegedly refusing to cover his genitals to the quarterback “touching [a plaintiff] with his penis and trying to force her to perform oral sex on him.”

In early June, The New York Times’ Jenny Vrentas reported that Watson booked at least 66 women over the span of 17 months for massage therapy sessions. The report also alleged that a Houston spa and the Texans “enabled” his massage habit.

Watson still faces four active civil lawsuits, after 20 were settled in June. 

The quarterback has denied all allegations against him, and two Texas grand juries declined to indict him on criminal charges. With the civil suits still ongoing, Cleveland traded for Watson in March and signed him to a five-year contract worth a guaranteed $230 million. A clause built into the contract mandates Watson will lose only $55,556 for every game he’s suspended this season.

• Browns Digest: Browns Working out Pair of Veteran Quarterbacks Ahead of Camp 

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