Former first-round pick Josh Rosen makes Falcons roster

The Atlanta Falcons were the first team to announce their full 53-man roster on Tuesday, and recent acquisition Josh Rosen was one of the players who made it.

The 24-year-old Rosen was signed just last week following his release from the San Francisco 49ers. The Falcons needed quarterback help after their backup, A.J. McCarron, went down with an ACL injury that ended his season.

Rosen impresses in short audition

Rosen was a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft, but has become a journeyman backup over the past few years. He spent the 2018 season as the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, then was traded to the Miami Dolphins after the 3-13 Cardinals drafted Kyler Murray No. 1 overall. Rosen started three games for Miami in 2019 (all losses), then was relegated to the bench for the rest of the season, serving as Ryan Fitzpatrick's backup.

Once he was released by the Dolphins, Rosen was signed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad, where he spent most of the 2020 season. The 49ers, who struggled with injuries throughout the season, signed him in December after two of their quarterbacks got hurt.

The Niners released Rosen on Aug. 17, and just six days later the Falcons picked him up following McCarron's season-ending injury.

Rosen's audition with the Falcons lasted barely over a week, and in that time he impressed the team enough to make the final roster. We don't know what put Rosen over the top, but this touchdown pass — the only Falcons touchdown pass of the entire preseason — may have had something to do with it.