Ex-Gophers Defender Wants a QB Change for Vikings
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy played well on Sunday against the Chicago Bears — for about five minutes. The young passer struggled mightily in his fifth start — so much so that one Minnesota Golden Gophers alumnus called for his university mate, Max Brosmer, to get a crack at the offense.
Former Minnesota Gophers defender calls for a quarterback change as the Vikings navigate a challenging stretch and mounting questions at the position.
It’s the latest in a Vikings rollercoaster at quarterback, as fans and apparently former players wait and hope for McCarthy to turn the corner.
Coney Durr Calls for Vikings to Insert Max Brosmer at Quarterback
The undrafted rookie has bided his time all season.
Coney Durr: Get Brosmer in There
In the second quarter of Minnesota’s loss to Chicago, while McCarthy visibly floundered with basic quarterback functions, Durr had seen enough.
He tweeted, “PLAY Max Brosmer!!!”
In the heat of battle, fans predictably piled on, agreeing with Durr’s assessment. One account noted, “They’re afraid to show the UDFA Is better than the first rounder.”
Another added, “IVE BEEN SAYING THIS! He will at least get the ball out on time and on target. JJ has one throw. It’s a fastball 100 mph. No touch to his game.”
For context, Durr played 55 games at the University of Minnesota from 2016 to 2021. He never crossed paths with Brosmer but evidently admires his game from afar. That — and the Gopher brotherhood.
A Commitment to Quarterback Development
There’s always a chance that Minnesota mails it on McCarthy sometime this season if his inaccuracy woes don’t rectify on the fly, but don’t bet on it.
The Vikings seem committed to McCarthy to the utmost, willing to sink or swim with the 22-year-old. For example, mathematically, playoff hopes hung in the balance around the time of Durr’s tweet, and Minnesota made no changes at quarterback. It rolled with McCarthy until the bitter end — and almost won the damn thing.
Plus, benching McCarthy this season for poor performance would signal surrender. Quarterback development brings peaks and valleys; this is a valley for Minnesota.
How Long of a Leash?
Still, in addition to McCarthy, the Vikings employ 52 other players who are ready to win right now. McCarthy probably saved himself among teammates by creating the almost game-winning drive on Sunday afternoon, but if not for that achievement, the outlook on his young career would feel bleak. Really, really bleak.
For example, if one assumes that McCarthy shows up to Lambeau Field and performs exactly the way he did against the Bears — inexplicably inaccurate and downright inefficient — head coach Kevin O’Connell may have no choice but to sit McCarthy in favor of Durr’s recommendation.
How bad must a struggle get before a coach tries something different? That’s the case uplifted by Durr and one that purple fans will monitor intently.
Brosmer in the Preseason
No NFL team drafted Brosmer in April. His arm strength is pretty blah, and he just didn’t turn the heads of general managers. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, though, took a UDFA flyer on Brosmer, and here we are. Brosmer played wonderfully during the preseason, so much so that some onlookers compared him to Brock Purdy, the San Francisco 49ers’ 7th-Round gem unearthed three years ago.
But preseason showings are often fool’s gold, and rather than insert Brosmer into the lineup at points this season, O’Connell stubbornly clung to an injured Carson Wentz while McCarthy healed from a high ankle sprain.
If Brosmer does see the field, folks will get a verdict on his preseason heroism transplanted into the regular season.
ESPN on McCarthy, Brosmer
Kevin Seifert of ESPN took a swing Monday at answering why Brosmer didn’t see the field when McCarthy struggled last weekend.
He wrote, “Why did quarterback J.J. McCarthy stay in the game? McCarthy is the Vikings’ short- and long-term plan at the position. Their first three quarters Sunday were the worst of his season, and McCarthy didn’t complete his first pass in the second half until less than three minutes remained in the game.”
“But throughout it all, he never seemed close to being replaced by backup Max Brosmer. Why? First, Brosmer is a rookie and completely untested. Second, the Vikings are committed to McCarthy, which at times — as coach Kevin O’Connell said last week — will require putting him in difficult situations.”
It’s pretty straightforward: Minnesota believes in McCarthy, hell or high water.
“Had O’Connell made the move, McCarthy would have missed the reps that allowed him to spark an 85-yard drive to briefly take the lead in the fourth quarter. Consider it a sacrifice in the development of a quarterback,” Seifert concluded.
Brosmer is about two years older than McCarthy. Minnesota also has veteran John Wolford on its practice squad, though he’s viewed as emergency insurance.
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