Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings
Getty
Minnesota Vikings head Coach Kevin O'Connell looks on before a game against the Tennessee Titans.
The Minnesota Vikings roster three quarterbacks heading into the 2025 regular season, with J.J. McCarthy set to debut as QB1. They also have former No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz. But it is undrafted rookie free agent Max Brosmer who could be a “future star.”
Brosmer is somewhat of a homegrown product, playing his 2024 and final season of college ball at Minnesota, where Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell first noticed him.
Despite the obstacles in his way, Brosmer could be destined for stardom.
“One thing about going to training camps that is underrated: listening to a really good group of beat writers talk about players coaches love,” The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue wrote on September 1. “And in Minnesota, one of them is Brosmer, who made it through cuts and a reshuffling of the backup QB position and now is firmly on a developmental track with the Vikings — albeit low on their depth chart.”
Every Max Brosmer throw from Vikings' preseason finale: 15 of 23, 161 yards, 1 TD (and one 40-yard drop).
Impressive stuff from the undrafted rookie. pic.twitter.com/X1prSxbvI9
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 23, 2025
Brosmer beat out Vikings fan favorite safety Josh Metellus, whom The Athletic did a feature on, for the label on Rodrigue’s “future hits list.” The selection comes after he received rave reviews in the preseason and training camp.
Max Brosmer’s Strong Summer Could Prove Telling
Max Brosmer, Minnesota Vikings
GettyMax Brosmer #12 of the Minnesota Vikings throws a pass against the Tennessee Titans.
Rodrigue cited colleague and Vikings beat writer Alec Lewis’ take on McCarthy coming out of roster cutdowns at the end of training camp.
Brosmer beat out trade pickup Sam Howell and journeyman Brett Rypien for a roster spot.
“There is something real here,” Lewis wrote on August 26. “Maybe it’s a 10-year career as a backup. Perhaps it’s more. Underestimating his smarts and processing ability would be foolish. The entire NFL already did that once.”
If and how soon Brosmer can fulfill Rodrigue’s prediction is largely a matter of how healthy McCarthy and Wentz can stay this season.
Max Brosmer looked extremely comfortable and accurate attacking between the hashes yesterday. Don’t think you can say that about the majority of undrafted QBs. pic.twitter.com/XlglGGsAnd
— Tanner Weber (@Purple_Post) August 10, 2025
Brosmer is behind Wentz on the Vikings’ depth chart, but may not stay there.
“Carson Wentz holds the place for now of the backup QB,” SKOR North’s Judd Zulgad said on August 26. “This also takes any pressure off if you had named Max Bromer the backup, right, which would have been a huge ask immediately. And there would have been people like, ‘Oh my! If McCarthy gets hurt, he plays.’ But now, you have the time to quietly transition the depth chart in one day, let’s say in November, Max Bromer is QB2, which, as I – I think that’s where this is going.”
It would be a continuation of Brosmer’s encouraging rise from roster uncertainty to current QB3 with the Vikings.
Vikings Comments on Max Brosmer Loom Large Amid ‘Star’ Prediction
Max Brosmer, Minnesota Vikings
GettyMax Brosmer #12 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on during a game against the Tennessee Titans.
Brosmer completed 60.4% of his passes for 364 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception, including a 161-1-0 line on 65.2% completion in his start in the Vikings’ preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans.
He said it was back to work after facing the Titans.
“There’s a lot to get better at. A lot more to get better at,” Brosmer told reporters on August 16. “That’s the entire team. That’s the process of football, that’s why people play football. You love it, but you love the process of getting better and learning how to win more football games. And today was an example of – it kind of shined some spots that we can get better at to win football games. And we’re going to go back to the drawing board, and attack it tomorrow, and get ready for next week.”
If all goes well for the Vikings in 2025, they will not need Brosmer outside of practice. But the Vikings can be encouraged by the positive perception Brosmer has quickly created.
“What I loved about Max is there were some breakdowns up front, and maybe he couldn’t progress and read through concepts,” O’Connell told reporters in August. “He plays with very fast eyes and very rarely puts the ball at harm’s way when he’s doing it, which is a unique trait.”
Brosmer and the Vikings open the regular season against the Chicago Bears on September 8.