The Vikings’ QB Who Offered Some Oomph and Pizzazz
Coming into the 2025 preseason, the Vikings’ QB position was the talk of the town. After all, the 22-year-old sophomore — Mr. J.J. McCarthy — was making his return to the field.
The QB1 ended up playing a single series before handing off the baton to Sam Howell, the clear favorite to be the team’s QB2. Afterwards, veteran journeyman Brett Rypien got into the game before UDFA rookie Max Brosmer finished things off. Those finals two names — Rypien and Brosmer — is where there’s some intrigue.
The Vikings’ QB Curveball
Going back a little while, I have been a Brosmer truther. In fact, I’ve been putting him on my 53-man roster prediction before it was fashionable.
One wonders how much it matters that McCarthy is good friends with Brosmer. There’s then the reality of the UDFA having several similarities to the QB1 alongside the early comfort that Brosmer showed off in Minnesota.
Oh, and let’s not forget that Kevin O’Connell thinks that the UDFA has a brain in his head. Coach O’Connell values two abilities above all others for his passers: accuracy and brain bandwidth.
By the time the final whistle sounded on Saturday, Mr. Brosmer had gone 5/8 for 47 yards and a touchdown. Keep in mind that his TD pass came after the first one was overturned. The UDFA didn’t panic, going back onto the field before firing a bullet into Myles Price for a score. Good poise from the young guy.
Watching Rypien brings back memories of Sean Mannion.
Essentially, Rypien is a coach in shoulder pads. He finished his preseason game having gone an uninspiring 1/4 for 6 yards. Yes, he has a brain in his head and can help a young quarterback to decode what’s taking place along the sidelines, but inserting him into a regular season game would almost certainly lead to defeat (short of a Herculean effort from the defense).
Worth noting, as well, that Sam Howell did some good things in his time on the field. He finished his day having gone 11/13 for 105 yards while bringing the ball across the goal line with a QB sneak. Conceivably, Howell could step in for a week or two and keep things moving in a reasonably positive direction.
What we have, then, is an outlook that appears to offer a decent bit of certainty at the very top. McCarthy isn’t going anywhere as the starter. Howell, in theory, could get dislodged from his spot as the QB2, but that possibility grows more unlikely the further the offseason proceeds.
Next up for the Vikings’ QBs are Brett Rypien and Max Brosmer. The veteran, no doubt, is going to have a decent bit more wisdom and knowledge, but the UDFA is no slouch in that regard. After the game, McCarthy yet again kicked over praise to Brosmer: “That guy works so hard. He’s in the building all the time.”
“It was just awesome to see him go out there and shine because he puts in the work,” McCarthy said of Brosmer.
Coming up for the week ahead is joint practices with the New England Patriots before another preseason game. Look for Max Brosmer to build off the positive momentum by continuing to show a strong understanding of the offense alongside a strong ability on the field.
Brosmer is 24.
