I do agree with you it was a decision that was made. I think we can credit Rosenberg with not retconning Jean again. My fear is that they were going to say that Jean in New X-men was a Phoenix clone/copy. Rosenberg said in his pitch that he advised they shouldn't retcon her again and that everything that had happened to her previously had to matter. So I do give him that credit. I still didn't like the take.
Jean in X-men Red did mention being a part of the Phoenix (referencing Dark Phoenix) so I did like that part but again it was referenced as a destructive force.
The best recent take was Bunn in Phoenix Generations where the Phoenix was portrayed as a force of good and Teen Jean brought up the manipulation of Phoenix by the hellfire club. In Dennis Hopeless' Jean solo Ghost Jean mentioned how the Phoenix was both good and bad. I liked the explanation in that series. At least there Jean understood the Phoenix unlike under Rosenberg where she didn't seem to understand it. In Endsong Jean seemed to understand the Phoenix and her role with it.
I guess that was my big gripe with Rosenberg and that Jean had little personality in his mini.