Lewis wrote the following:
_Minnesota could've added a veteran backup at the trade deadline. Current Atlanta Falcons starter Kirk Cousins was a candidate; he told confidants that he would be OK serving as McCarthy's backup. But the Vikings decided to roll with their young QB room. This was an admission by the Vikings decision-makers that they desperately wanted to see what McCarthy was capable of this season. It was also a window into the faith they had in Brosmer's ability to manage the stressors that come with being one snap away._
_His on-the-fly processing ability was part of what intrigued O'Connell two years ago when he attended the Golden Gophers pro day. Brosmer had not yet played for Minnesota. Being local allowed O'Connell to keep close tabs on Brosmer's development, particularly over the back half of his final college season._
A graduate transfer from FCS New Hampshire, Brosmer played one year at the Division I FBS level, which presumably gave teams pause to draft him. Over 13 games, however, Brosmer completed a single-season program record 268 passes at a 66.5 percent clip with 18 touchdowns, six interceptions and 137.2 rating.
Lewis shared that the Director of Football Operations for the East-West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galko, has pounded the table for Brosmer for a while: "I'll stand by it," Galko said in August. "I'll be really surprised if Max does not start games in the NFL early. It's not as crazy as it sounds. Max is going to run the offense at a high level. He's not going to miss throws he shouldn't miss. He's going to trust the offense."
Brosmer has gone 5-for-8 passing with 42 yards and a long of 20 in relief action this season, showing poise and calmness in the pocket like he did in exhibitions, nailing 35 of 58 throws (60.3%) for 364 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. Brosmer made five "big time" passes and two turnover-worthy plays in those tune-ups, according to Pro Football Focus, and maybe most importantly, got the ball out quickly; his average time to throw in the preseason was 2.58 seconds (T-7th among QBs with 50-plus drop backs).
That rapid release contrasts McCarthy's 3.09 TTT in the regular season and merits awareness, but it is worth pointing out that defenses don't scheme preseason games.