The Minnesota Vikings are rolling into the 2025 offseason program with J.J. McCarthy as the clear-cut favorite to start. The same cannot be said about the Vikings’ QB2 spot, and that is good news for rookie undrafted free agent Max Brosmer.
A native of Davenport, Iowa, who grew up in Roswell, Georgia, Brosmer spent five years at New Hampshire before transferring to Minnesota for the 2024 season.
There, he caught the eye of Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, and that could pay off.
“When he went undrafted, the Vikings swooped in with an offer that suggests they project him for a potential long-term role as a backup,” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote on May 13.
“No. 4 quarterbacks don’t often generate much attention, but the Vikings’ fluid depth chart and Brosmer’s initial impression at last weekend’s rookie minicamp merit a close eye in the coming months.”
Max Brosmer (12) throwing his first passes as a member of the #Vikings 👀
Seifert cited the three-year, $2.9 million contract that Brosmer signed with the Vikings, which included $246,000 fully guaranteed.
Seifert believes the deal “suggests they project him for a potential long-term role as a backup.”
Max Brosmer Landed With Vikings Thanks to Kevin O’Connell’s ‘Exception’
Seifert explained that Brosmer first caught O’Connell’s eye in 2024. The QB was just days into his tenure, and the team needed a QB for its pro day. Brosmer decided to “throw it and make sure these guys can catch the ball.” The lack of preparation left O’Connell “impressed.”
“Kevin O’Connell typically doesn’t attend pro days during his preparation for the NFL draft,” Seifert wrote. “In four offseasons as the Minnesota Vikings’ head coach, however, O’Connell has made one exception. He has always attended the University of Minnesota’s pro day, partly because it takes place 20 minutes from the Vikings’ practice facility but also because of his friendship with Golden Gophers coach P.J. Fleck. And that’s how O’Connell first noticed a quarterback named Max Brosmer.”
Brosmer impressed with his leadership at his own pro day with the Gophers in 2025, with KARE 11’s J.T. Messinger calling it a “moment” of the day.
The other moment of Gophers Pro Day was probably QB Max Brosmer introducing all of the WR’s, TE’s, & RB’s he was throwing to before the start of pass drills, even the guys participating from outside the program.
After, Brosmer spoke about why he did it.
@kare11 @GopherFootball
Seifert noted that Brosmer got the majority of the reps on Day 1 and received a noteworthy amount of coaching either from O’Connell, Vikings quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, or assistant OC/QB coach Jordan Traylor after every rep.
Brosmer threw “consecutive interceptions” during a single drill.
Still, Seifert noted that O’Connell still lauded Brosmer following the session. The head coach offered even more hints that Brosmer has a chance to stick with the Vikings in some capacity.
Kevin O’Connell Praises Max Brosmer’s Skill Set
O’Connell said they expected to coach the rookies up over the three-day minicamp. He added that the Vikings do not want to have a “fear-based outcome” mentality in which they hold back to avoid mistakes.
“The starting point of just [him being a] pretty efficient thrower of the football from a standpoint of fundamentals, technique, his ability to generate some pretty good revolutions and RPMs on the ball, with pretty limited movement in the pocket,” O’Connell told reporters on May 9 when asked what has stood out to him about Brosmer, citing his “respect” for Fleck.
“You’re already seeing a lot of the things that we really identified in Max to bring him into a quarterback room that we’re really excited about.”
Max Brosmer (12) throwing his first passes as a member of the #Vikings 👀
“I think he had a great first day, and looking forward to seeing – now, and that’s our whole group that’s everybody out here; pretty efficient, solid first day. Looked like football. That’s always the starting point goal. But now, can we come back and do the things that pros do, which is come back and have an even better day tomorrow? And my expectation, Max will be one of the guys leading that charge.”
Brosmer must at least move up to QB3 to stick with the Vikings and not just on the practice squad. The NFL allows teams to dress three quarterbacks on game days, with one designated as the “emergency” option, who does not count against the roster limits.
The Vikings did that with Daniel Jones in 2024.
Brosmer would need to beat out one of the Vikings’ veterans. Brett Rypien first signed with the Vikings in 2024 and re-signed this offseason. The Vikings traded for Sam Howell this spring.
Landing with the Vikings’ practice squad would keep Brosmer in the mix, though. Another team could always sign him away to a standard contract. It helps that O’Connell is high on him, though that is true for every QB in the Vikings’ room.
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