The Tide May Be Turning for the Other Guy in Vikings QB Room
The Minnesota Vikings have a 4-7 record through 12 weeks, on the brink of mathematical playoff elimination by Thanksgiving. And quarterback J.J. McCarthy is struggling so profusely that the franchise might be forced to try another option. That man would be named Max Brosmer.
With J.J. McCarthy’s performance so miserable through six starts, the Vikings may have no choice but to tap the other guy on the shoulder in the coming weeks.
Brosmer played well in the preseason, though that often doesn’t translate to the regular season, and McCarthy seems to be reaching a point where the team can’t play him anymore. If that realization comes to fruition, Brosmer would be the next man up.
Vikings QB2 Max Brosmer Might End Up Seeing the Field
Yes, that’s where the McCarthy experiment is at, almost two years in.
McCarthy’s Caliber of Play Sadly Deserves the Bench
Indeed, the Vikings are committed to McCarthy’s quarterback development — and good for them. The maneuver shows patience and loyalty.
But one must ask: as McCarthy continues to play woefully and prevent his team from winning, how long can Minnesota hold out? If McCarthy were a veteran of any kind — any kind whatsoever — he would have been benched by now.
By the numbers — every single efficiency metric — McCarthy is the NFL’s single-worst quarterback, and his through-six-starts numbers rival those of the worst passers in the history of the NFL. The franchise can continue to toe the line of quarterback development, but it could risk mutiny if, each and every week, McCarthy shows no growth on the field.
Backup quarterbacks were invented for situations like this.
Brosmer the Next in Line
Because Carson Wentz is injured and not returning in 2025, Brosmer is the next man up.
Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio wrote Sunday, “Presumably, the Vikings will let McCarthy ride it out, hopeful the proverbial cork will eventually pop. At some point, though, they’ll have to ask whether the cork is stuck like Flick’s tongue to a frozen flagpole. Once they decide McCarthy won’t be the unquestioned starter for 2026 (at this point, there’s no reason to believe he’ll be handed the job), why not give reps to undrafted rookie Max Brosmer?”
“They supposedly love him. If so, let’s see what he can do. Only the dysfunctional teams double down on obvious mistakes. All things considered (including a rookie season scrapped by a preseason knee injury), the decision to take McCarthy with the tenth overall pick in 2024 (they traded up one spot to avoid being leapfrogged) was a mistake.”
Brosmer performed wonderfully during the preseason.
Florio added, “At this point, nothing can change the fact that they passed on handing the starting job to Sam Darnold (who they’ll see next week) or Jones, or that they supposedly rebuffed interest from Aaron Rodgers. None of that should be a reason to keep trying to make something happen that isn’t going to happen.”
Assuming the Vikings don’t skip Brosmer for QB3 John Wolford, Brosmer would be the QB1 if McCarthy is benched.
The Brock Purdy Storyline
Moreover, some fans have forecasted this Brosmer arc for months.
Noticing that McCarthy did not play well to start the season, a handful of fans wondered whether Minnesota has a Trey Lance + Brock Purdy-style situation afoot. That is — the highly-touted quarterback flopped, while the unsung player not known to most of the world took off.
If Minnesota determines that McCarthy’s confidence is broken, turning to Brosmer would allow the fan faction to get a verdict on the Brock Purdy theory.
The Negative on Brosmer
So, what’s the malfunction on Brosmer? Why wasn’t he drafted?
His arm strength is suspect, he isn’t overly mobile, and his off-schedule performance — when plays break down — caused 32 general managers to say “no thanks” on the University of Minnesota alumnus. Yes, every NFL team would have had to get the scouting report on Brosmer wrong for Minnesota to be right.
On arm strength, though, for example, that really doesn’t matter within the confines of Minnesota’s 2025 offense. McCarthy can’t really complete basic passes in his current form. Arm strength is probably a talker regarding the Vikings quarterback saga during the offseason and in the 2026 season.
Brosmer has limitations, but he also may not play like the worst quarterback ever, which is unfolding at the moment in Minnesota.
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