The Minnesota Vikings signed Max Brosmer to their practice squad on Tuesday, and it was a move that could be seen a mile away. After initially keeping Brosmer on the 53-man roster, the Vikings waived the former UDFA on Monday. But as a player who is held in high regard by Kevin O’Connell and his coaching staff, Brosmer was brought back.
More likely to become an offensive coordinator than a franchise quarterback, bringing back Brosmer could be confusing to some Vikings fans. It’s also downright befuddling to fans of J.J. McCarthy, who believe he has been short-changed and potentially pushed out of town by O’Connell.
But looking at the two quarterbacks, there’s one key difference in that Brosmer is listening and doing what O’Connell says more than McCarthy is at this point of their career.
Max Brosmer’s Minnesota Vikings journey explains why Kevin O’Connell still believes in him
Brosmer’s hype train with the Vikings roughly a year ago when he impressed the team during OTAs. Dubbed “as smart as any young player I’ve been around” by O’Connell, a strong training camp and a start against the first-string of the Tennessee Titans defense in the final preseason game helped him make the 53-man roster over Sam Howell and Brett Rypien and the initial plan was to stash and develop him throughout the 2025 season.
Unfortunately, things got out of hand from there. McCarthy was injured in a Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and as Carson Wentz struggled after a shoulder injury suffered a few weeks later, the cries for Brosmer got louder. Some fans even gave Brosmer the nickname “Purple Purdy” referring to Brock Purdy, who went from Mr. Irrelevant to the franchise quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers.
Former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah also put things into overdrive when he said he wished he hadn’t lobbied for Brosmer to attend the NFL Scouting Combine “because then he’d really be our secret,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
With that, the expectations were astronomical ahead of Brosmer’s first start against the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 30. With four interceptions, including a meme-worthy pick-six to Ernest Jones IV, Brosmer had gone from a secret to a punchline. But he bounced back on Christmas Day to help the Vikings defeat the Detroit Lions.
Brosmer threw for only 51 yards in the win, but he did what O’Connell wanted him to do, managing the game and taking care of the ball so the Vikings defense could carry them to a 23-10 victory. Brosmer’s ability to comprehend O’Connell’s complex offense also won him brownie points, and executing the game plan on short notice also helped his reputation -- even if it didn’t win anyone a fantasy championship.
Brosmer is doing the one thing that J.J. McCarthy hasn’t for O’Connell
Turning over to McCarthy, he has been what Brosmer has not during his career. McCarthy has more talent and a national championship ring from his collegiate career. But while Brosmer has conquered the mental side of the game, it seems to be the one thing that is holding McCarthy back in Minnesota.
This preseason was a glaring example as McCarthy operates by throwing the ball as hard as he can to get it out to his receivers. The result not only left a pass sailing over the heads of wide-open Tai Felton and Dillon Bell during the Vikings’ second preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, but also left him susceptible to an ankle injury that is the latest mystery in the quarterback room.
In addition, it feels like McCarthy is asking too many questions when O’Connell gives him the answers. A report from Ty Dunne of the Go Long Substack said that McCarthy would too often question the way O’Connell wanted things done during film sessions and also stirred up controversy when he performed “The Griddy” on a wide-open touchdown run against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15 after O’Connell had asked him not to do it after fumbling the ball in a similar situation during practice.
These breadcrumbs may explain why McCarthy didn’t show any visible improvement during the preseason, and while Brosmer had his own misfires, O’Connell may be more forgiving when working with a former UDFA than with a former top-10 pick.
In many ways, this ties back to McCarthy’s comments during minicamp. While he described his relationship with Kyler Murray as two guys on opposite ends of a classroom, Brosmer might be the one in the front row ready to learn from “Mr. O’Connell” with an apple in hand.
When trying to figure out why the Vikings seem to be higher on Brosmer than McCarthy, it could be a simple explanation and it could be another thing to remember if the Vikings decide to part ways with McCarthy to protect Brosmer in the future.
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