Events of Thursday appeared to indicate even more strongly that the Minnesota Vikings will start rookie Max Brosmer at quarterback against the Seahawks Sunday at Lumen Field.
Notably, Minnesota’s starter, second-year player J.J. McCarthy, was again listed as limited while in the concussion protocol, still dealing with symptoms that crept up following the Vikings’ 23-6 loss to Green Bay Sunday.
The Vikings sent another signal they are worried about their quarterback situation by signing Desmond Ridder to their practice squad Thursday morning, giving them four QBs on their roster overall.
Ridder, a third-round pick of Atlanta in 2022, was also with the Vikings for a time in September and October when McCarthy was sidelined.
The Vikings also have veteran John Wolford, a former L.A. Ram, on their practice squad, who signed in late October after Carson Wentz was lost for the season with a shoulder injury.
Wolford famously started a playoff game for the Rams against Seattle at Lumen Field in 2021, before being injured early in the game and giving way to Jared Goff, who led the visitors to a 30-20 win.
But with McCarthy ailing, coach Kevin O’Connell said on Wednesday that Brosmer will take the first-team reps in practice this week and Wolford second team.
If Brosmer makes what would bet the first start of his NFL career against the Seahawks, that would make him one of two graduates of Centennial High in Roswell, Ga., playing prominent roles in Sunday’s game.
The other?
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald.
Macdonald is a 2006 graduate of Centennial, a school located about 30 miles outside Atlanta that opened in 1997. It was named in honor of the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, which were the 100th year anniversary of the first modern Olympics.
Much to Macdonald’s chagrin, Brosmer graduated from Centennial more than a decade later, in 2019.
“It’s funny, small world, huh? Kind of crazy,’’ Macdonald said this week. “It’s weird that you went to the same school but the separation — like I feel like I’m young. I feel like I’m 25 years old. Now here he comes.’’
Macdonald, who is in actuality 38 years old, said the Seahawks will do what they can to get up to speed quickly on Brosmer, who played last year at the University of Minnesota after beginning his college career with five years at the University of New Hampshire.
Brosmer signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in April and then played well enough in the preseason — completing 35 of 58 passes for 364 yards, two touchdowns and one interception — that he convinced the team to keep him as the third QB on the 53-man roster behind McCarthy and Wentz.
The Vikings had former Seahawk Sam Howell on their roster during training camp, as well.
But they traded Howell at the end of training camp to the Eagles when they signed Wentz, and also cut another former Seahawk — Brett Rypien — to hang onto Brosmer.
The Vikings — who decided not to re-sign Sam Darnold in March, allowing him to sign with Seattle, instead — have had a merry-go-round at QB this year.
McCarthy started the first two games before being sidelined with a high ankle sprain. Wentz started the next five before being sidelined for the season, with McCarthy then returning and starting the last four games, the last three of which have been losses.
With McCarthy and Wentz trading off missing time due to injuries, Brosmer spent a few games as the backup and has played in three overall, completing 5 of 8 passes for 42 yards.
Brosmer impressed with his play at the University of Minnesota last season, especially during a stretch of six wins in the final eight games as the Gophers finished 8-5.
That included wins over USC and UCLA with the two losses to Michigan and Rutgers by a combined eight points. Brosmer had a 12-to-2 TD-to-interception ratio.
“Confident, cerebral quarterback with average traits who proved he could play at the FBS level,’’ NFL.com wrote before the draft of the 6-foot-2, 217-pounder. “Brosmer has an average arm but throws with anticipation and a sudden release. … Brosmer’s lack of mobility and second-reaction playmaking hurts his chances, but he should be appealing to a play-action based offense utilizing levels route concepts.’’
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An anonymous scout quoted this week in The Athletic — which cited sources saying that McCarthy is not expected to play — compared Brosmer in style and temperament to Brock Purdy of the 49ers.
“I think Max is as smart as any young player I’ve been around,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell was quoted as saying by The Athletic, saying Brosmer impressed in the preseason by “moving the team and getting the ball out. He was seeing things at a veteran-level type of eye progression.”
Macdonald said the Seahawks will rely on that preseason film in preparing for the Vikings.
“J.J. might still play, so we have to be ready for him as well,’’ Macdonald said Wednesday. “But you’re going to watch preseason tape, watch some of their college stuff, talk to our scouts, things like that, guys that have watched him coming out and followed his path. But do the best you can, really, with the tape you have of what’s out there. He played pretty extensively in preseason, so that’s pretty good tape to have.’’
Seahawks injury situation improves Thursday
The Seahawks’ injury situation looked a bit better Thursday as only one player sat out — running back George Holani, dealing with a hamstring issue. Seattle signed veteran Cam Akers Wednesday to likely play Sunday as the third running back behind Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.
Four others were listed as limited, including defensive end Rylie Mills (knee), who was designated as returning to practice on Wednesday off the physically unable to perform list and isn’t expected to play this week.
The others listed as limited were Walker (glute), safety Ty Okada (oblique) and linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (ankle).
Both Okada and Nwosu were upgraded on Thursday after not practicing on Wednesday.
Okada was injured Sunday and missed the second half of the win over the Titans. But his injury was not significant enough to go on IR and being limited Thursday indicates he may not have to miss much time, if any.
Walker also was on the injury report last week with a glute injury but played against the Titans.
Everyone else was a full participant including linebacker Ernest Jones IV for the second straight day. Jones missed the Titans game with a knee injury.
Also listed as full was defensive end Mike Morris, who was limited on Wednesday with a knee injury; and guard Grey Zabel, also limited on Wednesday with a knee issue.
Bob Condotta: bcondotta@seattletimes.com. Bob Condotta is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times who primarily covers the Seahawks but also dabbles in other sports. He has worked at The Times since 2002, reporting on University of Washington Husky football and basketball for his first 10 years at the paper before switching to the Seahawks in 2013.