Vikings Settle the Backup Quarterback Mystery
J.J. McCarthy is the undisguised QB1 for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025. It’s his time.
Some Vikings fans have wondered for the last couple of weeks who might earn the QB2 job, and the team’s new depth chart provided an answer this week.
But after McCarthy on the depth chart, a mystery loomed for about a week, with fans wondering which player would take over the QB2 assignment: Carson Wentz or Max Brosmer.
Well, on paper, the answer is in — Wentz got the official nod on the depth chart.
Vikings QB2 Battle Gets Exclamation Point
Wentz would be the next man up if McCarthy went down.
Vikings Depth Chart Depicts Carson Wentz as QB2
Minnesota’s fresh regular season depth chart has been posted to the team’s website, and at the very top, there’s a clear — and somewhat expected — quarterback pecking order:
- J.J. McCarthy
- Carson Wentz
- Max Brosmer
The document didn’t leave much to interpretation. So long as head coach Kevin O’Connell adhered to the depth chart, Wentz will roll into 2025 as the team’s foremost backup behind McCarthy.
Max Brosmer the 3rd in Line
Of course, it’s a mini-miracle that Brosmer is on the active roster in the first place.
The Golden Gopher went undrafted in April, signed by general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as a longshot bid and reserve passer as a free-agent rookie. Then, throughout the summer at training camp and the preseason, Brosmer stood off the page every step of the way.
In fact, Brosmer was the sole consistent bright spot through all three preseason games, parleying the performances into a QB3 job.
Well done for a man who might’ve had a practice squad upside, at best, in early May. He can claim he bested veteran Sam Howell, who Minnesota traded to the Eagles for a draft pick.
What About in Case of Long-Term Emergency?
Here’s the intriguing question: If McCarthy succumbed to a long-term injury, how long would O’Connell remain faithful to his depth chart?
Brosmer displayed rookie poise to the moon in the preseason, and the Vikings’ coaching staff has insisted for weeks that his talent is not a mirage. Wentz has not done much of anything — he was once a star — in about five years, so would Minnesota really not explore Brosmer at QB2 if McCarthy tore or broke something?
If the club stuck with Wentz, the former Philadelphia Eagle would be on a short leash in the court of public opinion. Any semblance of errors would prompt the fan base to chant for Brosmer.
Go-Time for McCarthy in 5 Days
Meanwhile, the J.J. McCarthy era — it’s long-awaited — gets underway at Soldier Field on September 8th.
Minnesota drafted McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he tore his meniscus during the preseason a year ago. The Vikings’ brass later batted away the temptation to sign Aaron Rodgers, Sam Darnold (again), and Daniel Jones (again) this offseason, fully entrusting McCarthy with a Super Bowl-ready roster.
The purple team has never picked a quarterback in the Top 10 of a draft. Everything changes on Monday night with McCarthy under center.
More on Wentz
Section215.com‘s Joe Summers noted on Wentz this week: “He has experience, and the Minnesota Vikings’ general manager felt that was enough to ink him to a contract. No other team wanted to touch him with a 10-foot pole, but the Vikings were interested. Minnesota obviously has its quarterback of the future ready to roll, but having someone like Wentz is wise regardless.”
“No matter how you look at it, Wentz is a proven winner. He has the veteran knowledge that you want, even if his on-field performance suggests he’s a backup at best. His backup is Max Brosmer. None of us has heard of him, and Wentz now has an inside track to being the clear backup to J.J. McCarthy. Despite Wentz’s obvious shortcomings, he’s got a job.”
Wentz grew up cheering for the Vikings, so there’s a poetic angle for him and the free-agent contract.
Summers added, “Whether he deserves it or not remains to be seen, but he has it. During his five-year tenure with the Eagles, Wentz became one of the better signal callers in the league and had an impressive career. His ego seemingly got in the way and while that’s unfortunate, there’s no denying the on-field impact he made. Now, he’ll back up a rookie in McCarthy who has already suffered a season-ending injury and can’t fully be trusted.”
“No Minnesota Vikings fan wants Wentz to throw a pass, but he wisely chose a team with someone who could need him. No matter what happens, it’s a wise choice by someone whom seemingly no one likes. Hopefully, Wentz can turn his reputation around and become a player whom his teammates revere and don’t despise. That’ll be up to him, but he has the opportunity.”
Here’s to hoping that Wentz and Brosmer don’t have to play a single game in 2025. That’s the preferred outcome.
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