Max Brosmer entered the league via the Minnesota Golden Gophers. When he went undrafted, he stayed in the state and signed with the Minnesota Vikings. The quarterback was never supposed to start games in 2025, but he did, and the results were catastrophic. He’s now a fascinating case study, as there’s no obvious spot on the roster for him, but the franchise might not be ready to let him go.
The word catastrophic is mostly exaggerated when it comes to sports. In this case, however, it might not be. Brosmer’s play en route to a 26-0 defeat was among the worst an NFL quarterback has produced in recent memory. He failed to erase that first impression in later opportunities.
Yet, the Vikings might want to keep working with him. Here’s what Alec Lewis, The Athletic, wrote about the passer this week: “Optimism for Brosmer persists. The Vikings wished he didn’t have to play during his rookie season, but circumstances thrust him into the spotlight. Release him, and opposing teams will have interest.”
Indeed, his path towards real NFL snaps was unlikely and unwanted. The Vikings gave the offense to J.J. McCarthy, who couldn’t live up to expectations. Injuries also stalled his development for a second straight season and backup Carson Wentz had to step in. Wentz had not been in the building by the time Brosmer joined. At that point, it was McCarthy, veteran depth QB Brett Rypien and newly acquired Sam Howell.
Brosmer was fourth in the hierarchy. Therefore, snaps in training camp were limited. His realistic goal was to show enough promise to land on the practice squad and move up later. Then neither Rypien nor Howell earned the staff’s confidence, while Brosmer’s solid preseason outings opened the door. Rypien was cut, Howell traded to Philadelphia, and Wentz acquired.
The Vikings reserved a roster spot for Brosmer, who entered the season as the QB3. Many backups never see the field and for a third guy to be asked to throw passes, disaster would have to strike. In this case, it did. Wentz’s shoulder survived only three games before an injury hit. He played another two, but season-ending surgery was clearly on the horizon. McCarthy was in-and-out of the lineup all season long. As a result, Brosmer, now 25, appeared in 7 games, started 2 of them, and threw 71 passes.
The record books will show a 1-1 record as a starter, but it’s quite hard to forget the defense’s domination against the Detroit Lions on Christmas, while Brosmer’s passing game was erratic. He registered 51 passing yards that day and took 7 sacks. Shockingly, it was not his worst performance. His 126-yard outing in Seattle was even worse, featuring four interceptions, including a pick-six that belonged in a comedy show rather than on an NFL field.
His overall season numbers reveal a 66.2% completion percentage for 328 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions, as well as 14 sacks and a laughable yards-per-attempt mark of 4.6.
So why is he still employed?
Brosmer’s rookie play was not inspiring whatsoever, but it’s worth noting that he was just that: A rookie. His career shouldn’t end because he failed to succeed against Seattle’s Super Bowl defense.
Furthermore, he does have the attributes teams want to see in their QB2s and QB3s. He’s a fairly accurate quarterback and is a smart one, too. None of his 33 passes after the Seattle debacle were intercepted. Not a huge sample size, but still noteworthy.
At the end of the day, Brosmer was the third quarterback, and teams are usually screwed when two passers are down.
What does the future hold?
Unless they offload one, the Vikings already have three quarterbacks on the squad and the depth chart appears set (outside of the so-called quarterback competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy). They will be starter and backup; Wentz provides veteran insurance and Brosmer is, well, fourth of four.
Teams don’t keep four signal-callers around, as roster spots are sacred and can’t be wasted. The depth is necessary for special-teamers and other developmental projects.
Minnesota almost automatically has to release him at the end of training camp and try to sneak him onto the practice squad if they want to keep him around. That’s where Lewis’ words enter the conversation: “Release him, and opposing teams will have interest.”
At that point, they have two options: either try to pull it off or keep him and convince Wentz that he’s the practice-squadder, which seems unlikely to go well.
Quarterbacks are different from every other position. Teams are constantly searching for developmental passers, and Brosmer’s college tape, intelligence, and accuracy could be enough for another coaching staff to believe they can fix what went wrong during his rushed rookie season. It only takes one team with a thin quarterback room to prevent him from reaching Minnesota’s practice squad and try to develop the former Gopher into a long-term backup.
Wentz, meanwhile, didn’t return to Minnesota to spend the season on the practice squad. As a veteran with years of NFL experience and even some solid backup play in 2025, he’d almost certainly seek opportunities elsewhere if he lost his roster spot.
Ironically, Brosmer’s biggest obstacle might not be his rookie tape, but the Vikings’ improved quarterback room. Minnesota may still believe in his long-term potential, yet the franchise could lose him simply because there are no snaps—or roster spots—left to justify keeping him.
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