It took former Washington Huskies offensive lineman Roger Rosengarten exactly one play to get acclimated to the NFL after he earned his first career start in Week Four of the 2024 NFL season with the Baltimore Ravens. The second-round pick threw a key block on his first starting snap to spring an 87-yard touchdown run for All-Pro running back Derrick Henry and never looked back.
As the Ravens got to the second round of the playoffs before falling to the Buffalo Bills, Rosengarten locked up All-Pro pass rushers like T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett. But, according to the right tackle, he lacked confidence along the way.
During his rookie season, a clip of Rosengarten went viral where he called himself a nobody compared to Garrett, the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and four-time First-Team All-Pro defensive end.
However, during Ravens minicamp in June, he said that won’t be the case as he prepares for his second year in the NFL.
“Nobody was kind of a harsh word for myself, I’d much rather say, ‘I know I’m a rookie,'” Rosengarten said. “Just going into this year, I’m going to play with way more confidence, and we’re going to play a lot of good teams, a lot of good players, and I’m excited about it.”
As the Ravens prepare for a Super Bowl run with two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson at the helm, Rosengarten said that he took some time to diet in the offseason and get healthier before building on the success he had during his rookie season.
“I wanted to get in the weight room and get bigger, faster, stronger, and just build on to year two,” he added. “Now I know I’ve got the ropes of everything, and this is where my confidence and my play really take the next step.