It's not typical for a team to speak so highly and often about their third-string quarterback, but the Minnesota Vikings certainly feel like they found something special in undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer.
From the moment Brosmer walked into the Vikings' facilities, he impressed his coaches, including his head coach, Kevin O'Connell. He played so well in the preseason that he beat out veteran quarterbacks Brett Rypien and Sam Howell for a spot on the roster. Howell got traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, and Rypien was released.
Brosmer finished the preseason with 364 yards and two touchdowns to one interception, with a completion percentage of 60.3 percent—a decent showing from a long shot for a roster spot.
Even in the regular season when he isn't starting, Brosmer still finds a way to get brought up and give the coaches a chance to praise the young quarterback. His offensive coordinator, Wes Phillips, paid him a high compliment on his preparation, regardless of his role.
"Nobody is going to question Max's preparation going into any football game. No matter if he's supposed to be the emergency 3, or the 2, or if he was going in as a starter. We all feel great about, intangibly, everything Max brings."
Max Brosmer setting himself up with a sweet gig of being the backup QB with the Minnesota Vikings for a long time
There haven't been a ton of opportunities for Brosmer to play this season, but he did come in for garbage time against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3.
He finished by completing two of four passes for 29 yards. Brosmer also had one kneel down in the Week 5 win over the Cleveland Browns.
It's clear that Brosmer still needs to develop his game, but Minnesota is the perfect situation for him. He gets to play in the state where he went to college.
He sits behind two good quarterbacks, Carson Wentz and J.J. McCarthy, and has a great tutor in O'Connell.
These early years will be important for Brosmer as he learns to play quarterback at the NFL level without being rushed on the field like a first-round pick. He can work out normally and observe from the sidelines to see everything.
Minnesota wouldn't be investing its time in an undrafted rookie like Brosmer if it didn't believe he could be a future NFL backup for a long time. If O'Connell sees something in him, that should be enough to excite Vikings fans for the future.