Commentary: Sage proves a real pro
By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
At one point last season, Sage Rosenfels asked Gary Kubiak to stop cursing him out every time he made a mistake.
Rosenfels tried to make his coach understand that cursing him wasn’t going to make him play better. Nor was it going to make him play harder. It was only going to make him mad.
Kubiak agreed. And stopped. Instead of losing his temper, he worked harder at explaining things to his backup quarterback.
That Kubiak would attempt to change tells you he held Rosenfels in high regard. It also tells you they must have had some interesting discussions in their three years together.
Theirs was a tense relationship at times. When they met after last season, Kubiak told him: “You and I have got a lot to talk about.”
Kubiak made it clear he wanted Rosenfels on his team. Less clear is whether Rosenfels wanted to be back.
After the 2007 season, he had asked Kubiak to trade him or allow him to compete for the starting job with the Texans.
“It wasn’t the best thing for our football team,” Kubiak said later. “I was upfront with Sage about that.”
So he didn’t trade Rosenfels because he simply was too valuable as a backup. He also didn’t allow him to compete with Matt Schaub because he didn’t want any uncertainty at quarterback.
How’s that for a tough career chat? No, Sage, you’re not leaving. No, Sage, you’re not playing.
Rosenfels reported to training camp less than thrilled with his plight, but it’s a tribute to his professionalism that he never uttered a discouraging word even though I offered him numerous opportunities.
I might have pushed him in that direction a time or two. Rosenfels said it wouldn’t be the best thing for the football team.
Putting team first
I pointed out it would be good for the newspaper industry, and don’t we all deserve a career break?
Instead of complaining, he practiced hard, played hard and kept his mouth shut. He also got paid $1.35 million, which is a good way to soothe ruffled feathers.
I’m guessing Kubiak doesn’t want to trade Rosenfels this time, either, because Matt Schaub has started and finished just 17 of his 32 games.
It’s unreasonable to think Schaub suddenly will become an iron man.
But Kubiak seems likely to trade Rosenfels this time, probably to the Minnesota Vikings.
It might not be the best thing for the Texans this time, either, but it’s the right thing to do.
The Vikings will allow Rosenfels to compete with Tarvaris Jackson for the starting job, and it’s time for him to get a real shot.
He’ll celebrate his 31st birthday next week and is about to begin his ninth NFL season. He has started just 12 games in eight years.
His window might not be closing, but it’s not going to remain open forever.
Here’s hoping the Vikings know how lucky they might be about to get.
They’re getting a really smart guy, a really competitive guy and a guy who has shown he’s good enough to win games.
He has never done it consistently, but then again, he has never had the opportunity the Vikings can give him.
The Vikings have all the other major pieces in place. Rosenfels won’t be asked to just manage the game because that’s a fallacy.
He’ll have more talent around him than he has had at any time in his career. If he’s going to make it, this is his chance.
Once the Texans signed Schaub to a $48 million contract, Rosenfels was slotted as the backup, and that was that.
He could have made things interesting when he got the Texans within five minutes of an upset of the Colts. When he was unable to finish that one off, Kubiak got Schaub back in the saddle as quickly as possible.
Let’s be clear about this. Rosenfels isn’t getting a raw deal. Schaub probably is better. He’s younger, stronger, and when he has been good, he has been really, really good. If he can stay healthy, he and Kubiak have a chance to do special things together.
Texans can gamble
The Texans will have interesting options. They’ll shop for a veteran, but they might also draft a young quarterback.
In a perfect world, they would get one capable of running some wildcat formations as a rookie.
In a really perfect world, they would get a guy just like Sage Rosenfels.
A guy that gets it in every sense of the word.
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