Sage Rosenfels
Encyclopedia
Sage Rosenfels is an American football
quarterback
who is currently a free agent
. He played college football
at Iowa State
before he was drafted by the Washington Redskins
in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft
. He played with the Miami Dolphins
from 2002–2005, the Houston Texans
from 2006–2008, the Minnesota Vikings
in 2009, and the New York Giants
in 2010. He spent portions of the 2011 season with the Giants and Dolphins. Through 2010, he had completed 351-of-562 passes for 4,156 yards and 30 touchdowns, and had a career 81.2 quarterback rating.
, a town of approximately 6,500. He was the fourth of five children, and as was the case with his siblings he was born at the family's home. His older sister Jaia, a high school runner and basketball player, suffered a traumatic brain injury in a traffic accident during her sophomore year at Wellesley College.
He attended Maquoketa Community High School
, where he was a letterman
in football, basketball, baseball, tennis, and track, as well as a member of the National Honor Society.
In football, he played quarterback, defensive back, punter, and kicker. As a senior, he was a first team All-District selection, and was named as an All-Eastern Iowa selection by the Quad City Times and the Dubuque Telegraph Herald, and was honored as a second team Class 3-A All-State defensive back by the Des Moines Register. His senior year, he threw for 1,150 yards and 10 touchdowns.
In basketball, he was a three-year letterman. As a junior, he was an All-State Honorable Mention selection. As a senior, he named as an All-Eastern Iowa selection by the Quad City Times, and was an All-State selection. In baseball, playing third base, he was twice named as an All-District selection, was a two-time All-Conference selection, and was a two-time All-State selection. In tennis, he was a four-year letterman. In the only season he competed in track, Rosenfels was a member of the 4x200-meter relay team which placed at the State Championships. He graduated from Maquoketa High School in 1996 with a 4.0 GPA.
The Cyclones defeated the University of Pittsburgh in the bowl game, and Rosenfels (23–34; 308 yards; 2 touchdowns) was named Offensive MVP. He was also named Offensive MVP of the Cyclones for the 2000 season. The win against Pittsburgh was the first bowl victory in the history of Iowa State football.
National Football Scouting Inc., a combine services that analyzed college players for NFL teams, rated Rosenfels the second-best NFL prospect among senior quarterbacks.
in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft
, spent one season as the team's third-string quarterback.
on August 22, 2002, in exchange for a 2003
seventh round draft pick. In 2004, he threw one pass for 76 yards, which tied for the 8th-longest pass of the year in the NFL. It came in the first play of his first start of his career, 16 seconds into the game, and was good for a touchdown.
In 2005, Rosenfels led Miami's biggest comeback since 1974, when he entered their Week 13 game against the Buffalo Bills
. After Gus Frerotte
was sidelined by a concussion in the third quarter, Rosenfels entered the game with the Dolphins trailing 23–3. Rosenfels led the team on three fourth-quarter scoring drives, as he threw for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns, as they beat the Bills, 24–23.
Two weeks later, Rosenfels entered the game at halftime versus the New York Jets
with the score tied 10–10, and led them on two scoring drives to get the win 24–20.
as an unrestricted free agent on March 13, 2006.
In 2006, the Houston Texans trailed the Tennessee Titans
21–3 before he threw three second-half touchdown passes to cut the lead to 28–22 as time ended the comeback.
The Sporting News February 2007 off-season awards issue predicted that Sage would be 2007's Tony Romo
, the breakout quarterback of the year coming from a backup role.
In 2007, the Houston Texans trailed the Tennessee Titans 32–7 entering the fourth quarter. Rosenfels tied an NFL record by throwing four 4th-quarter touchdown passes, to give the Texans a 36–35 lead before Rob Bironas
kicked his NFL-record 8th field goal
to give the Titans a 38–36 win. Rosenfels finished the 2007 season at 4–1 as a starter, in comparison to Matt Schaub's
4–7 on the season. He completed 154-of-240 passes for 1,684 yards and 15 touchdowns. His passing touchdown percentage of 6.3% was fourth-best in the NFL for the season, and his pass completion percentage of 64.2% was the 10th-best in the NFL.
In 2008, Rosenfels started in the Texans' home opener against the Indianapolis Colts
. Although Rosenfels had led the team to a 27–10 lead with 8:18 remaining, Indianapolis scored a touchdown to make the score 27–17 with 4:04 left. After Rosenfels fumbled twice the Colts took the lead and, following a last-minute Rosenfels interception, finished the game with a 31–27 victory.
Rosenfels got his first win as a starter in 2008 in a November game against the Cleveland Browns
. His second win of the season came against the Jacksonville Jaguars
in the Houston Texans' first ever Monday Night Football appearance.
In his three seasons with the Texans, Rosenfels went 6–4 as a starter. Through 2008, he had thrown 30 career touchdown passes.
on February 27, 2009. In exchange, the Texans received a fourth-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft
. After failing to negotiate the rights to No. 18 from wide receiver
Sidney Rice
, Rosenfels decided to wear No. 2 because he has two children and his favorite band is U2
. Rosenfels was originally supposed to battle Tarvaris Jackson
for the starting spot, but his role changed to third-string quarterback after Brett Favre
was signed.
, to the New York Giants
. He was Eli Manning's backup throughout the season, and also was the team's holder for field goals and extra points. His only action at quarterback was in the 4th quarter of a victory at Seattle.
In 2011, in his one preseason game he completed 13 of 19 passes, for 129 yards, even though he played with strep throat
. He missed most of the pre-season and on September 3 was placed on injured reserve
, however, because of a blood infection that was the result of his strep throat. On October 4, he was released with an injury settlement. At the time, he had a career 81.2 quarterback rating.
after a season-ending injury to Chad Henne
. The Dolphins chose Rosenfels after also working out Kellen Clemens
, JP Losman, Brett Ratliff, Jim Sorgi
, and Charlie Frye
. Rosenfels was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list on October 25. He was waived from the list on December 1.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones football
The Iowa State Cyclones football team represents Iowa State University in college football. The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. ISU started playing football in 1892, however, it did not become an official sport until 1894...
before he was drafted by the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
. He played with the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 2002–2005, the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 2006–2008, the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
in 2009, and the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 2010. He spent portions of the 2011 season with the Giants and Dolphins. Through 2010, he had completed 351-of-562 passes for 4,156 yards and 30 touchdowns, and had a career 81.2 quarterback rating.
Early years
Rosenfels is Jewish, as is his father, and was born in Maquoketa, IowaMaquoketa, Iowa
Maquoketa is a city in Clinton and Jackson counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. Located on the Maquoketa River, it is the county seat of Jackson County....
, a town of approximately 6,500. He was the fourth of five children, and as was the case with his siblings he was born at the family's home. His older sister Jaia, a high school runner and basketball player, suffered a traumatic brain injury in a traffic accident during her sophomore year at Wellesley College.
He attended Maquoketa Community High School
Maquoketa Community High School
Maquoketa Community High School is a public high school in Maquoketa, Iowa, United States.-Notable alumni:*Robert A. Millikan, Nobel Prize of Science winner*Sage Rosenfels, quarterback in the NFL*William Welch, inventor of the High School Diploma...
, where he was a letterman
Letterman
A letterman, in U.S. sports, performing arts or academics, is a high school or college student who has met a specified level of participation or performance on a varsity athletic team, marching band, or in other performance school-sponsored activities....
in football, basketball, baseball, tennis, and track, as well as a member of the National Honor Society.
In football, he played quarterback, defensive back, punter, and kicker. As a senior, he was a first team All-District selection, and was named as an All-Eastern Iowa selection by the Quad City Times and the Dubuque Telegraph Herald, and was honored as a second team Class 3-A All-State defensive back by the Des Moines Register. His senior year, he threw for 1,150 yards and 10 touchdowns.
In basketball, he was a three-year letterman. As a junior, he was an All-State Honorable Mention selection. As a senior, he named as an All-Eastern Iowa selection by the Quad City Times, and was an All-State selection. In baseball, playing third base, he was twice named as an All-District selection, was a two-time All-Conference selection, and was a two-time All-State selection. In tennis, he was a four-year letterman. In the only season he competed in track, Rosenfels was a member of the 4x200-meter relay team which placed at the State Championships. He graduated from Maquoketa High School in 1996 with a 4.0 GPA.
College career
Rosenfels was a two-year starter at Iowa State University. During the 2000 season, Rosenfels led the Cyclones to an 8–3 regular season mark, and a trip to the Insight.com Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona. He led his team to key wins versus Iowa, Colorado, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma State.The Cyclones defeated the University of Pittsburgh in the bowl game, and Rosenfels (23–34; 308 yards; 2 touchdowns) was named Offensive MVP. He was also named Offensive MVP of the Cyclones for the 2000 season. The win against Pittsburgh was the first bowl victory in the history of Iowa State football.
National Football Scouting Inc., a combine services that analyzed college players for NFL teams, rated Rosenfels the second-best NFL prospect among senior quarterbacks.
Washington Redskins (2001)
Rosenfels, selected by the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
, spent one season as the team's third-string quarterback.
First stint with Miami Dolphins (2002–05)
He was acquired by the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on August 22, 2002, in exchange for a 2003
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
seventh round draft pick. In 2004, he threw one pass for 76 yards, which tied for the 8th-longest pass of the year in the NFL. It came in the first play of his first start of his career, 16 seconds into the game, and was good for a touchdown.
In 2005, Rosenfels led Miami's biggest comeback since 1974, when he entered their Week 13 game against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. After Gus Frerotte
Gus Frerotte
Gustave Joseph "Gus" Frerotte is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tulsa....
was sidelined by a concussion in the third quarter, Rosenfels entered the game with the Dolphins trailing 23–3. Rosenfels led the team on three fourth-quarter scoring drives, as he threw for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns, as they beat the Bills, 24–23.
Two weeks later, Rosenfels entered the game at halftime versus the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
with the score tied 10–10, and led them on two scoring drives to get the win 24–20.
Houston Texans (2006–08)
He signed with the Houston TexansHouston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an unrestricted free agent on March 13, 2006.
In 2006, the Houston Texans trailed the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
21–3 before he threw three second-half touchdown passes to cut the lead to 28–22 as time ended the comeback.
The Sporting News February 2007 off-season awards issue predicted that Sage would be 2007's Tony Romo
Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo is a professional American football quarterback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005...
, the breakout quarterback of the year coming from a backup role.
In 2007, the Houston Texans trailed the Tennessee Titans 32–7 entering the fourth quarter. Rosenfels tied an NFL record by throwing four 4th-quarter touchdown passes, to give the Texans a 36–35 lead before Rob Bironas
Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas "Rob" Bironas is an American football placekicker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at Auburn University and Georgia Southern.Bironas was an All-Pro...
kicked his NFL-record 8th field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
to give the Titans a 38–36 win. Rosenfels finished the 2007 season at 4–1 as a starter, in comparison to Matt Schaub's
Matt Schaub
Matthew Rutledge Schaub is the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia.-College career:...
4–7 on the season. He completed 154-of-240 passes for 1,684 yards and 15 touchdowns. His passing touchdown percentage of 6.3% was fourth-best in the NFL for the season, and his pass completion percentage of 64.2% was the 10th-best in the NFL.
In 2008, Rosenfels started in the Texans' home opener against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. Although Rosenfels had led the team to a 27–10 lead with 8:18 remaining, Indianapolis scored a touchdown to make the score 27–17 with 4:04 left. After Rosenfels fumbled twice the Colts took the lead and, following a last-minute Rosenfels interception, finished the game with a 31–27 victory.
Rosenfels got his first win as a starter in 2008 in a November game against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. His second win of the season came against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the Houston Texans' first ever Monday Night Football appearance.
In his three seasons with the Texans, Rosenfels went 6–4 as a starter. Through 2008, he had thrown 30 career touchdown passes.
Minnesota Vikings (2009)
Rosenfels was acquired from the Texans by the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
on February 27, 2009. In exchange, the Texans received a fourth-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. After failing to negotiate the rights to No. 18 from wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Sidney Rice
Sidney Rice
-Minnesota Vikings :Rice was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He signed a four year contract with the Vikings in 2007....
, Rosenfels decided to wear No. 2 because he has two children and his favorite band is U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
. Rosenfels was originally supposed to battle Tarvaris Jackson
Tarvaris Jackson
Tarvaris DeAndre Jackson is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
for the starting spot, but his role changed to third-string quarterback after Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
was signed.
New York Giants (2010–11)
On September 3, 2010, Rosenfels was traded, along with RB Darius ReynaudDarius Reynaud
Darius Reynaud is an American football running back / wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at West Virginia....
, to the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was Eli Manning's backup throughout the season, and also was the team's holder for field goals and extra points. His only action at quarterback was in the 4th quarter of a victory at Seattle.
In 2011, in his one preseason game he completed 13 of 19 passes, for 129 yards, even though he played with strep throat
Strep throat
Streptococcal pharyngitis, streptococcal tonsillitis, or streptococcal sore throat is a type of pharyngitis caused by a group A streptococcal infection. It affects the pharynx including the tonsils and possibly the larynx. Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, and enlarged lymph nodes...
. He missed most of the pre-season and on September 3 was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
, however, because of a blood infection that was the result of his strep throat. On October 4, he was released with an injury settlement. At the time, he had a career 81.2 quarterback rating.
Second stint with Miami Dolphins (2011–present)
On October 6, 2011, Rosenfels signed a one-year deal for $970,000 with the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
after a season-ending injury to Chad Henne
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan...
. The Dolphins chose Rosenfels after also working out Kellen Clemens
Kellen Clemens
Kellen Clemens is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, JP Losman, Brett Ratliff, Jim Sorgi
Jim Sorgi
James Joseph "Jim" Sorgi, Jr. is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
, and Charlie Frye
Charlie Frye
Charles Frye, , is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Akron.-Early years:...
. Rosenfels was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list on October 25. He was waived from the list on December 1.