J.J. McCarthy is the undisputed QB1 on the Minnesota Vikings roster. But the backup-quarterback position is up for grabs.
But according to Sports Illustrated Vikings, former University of Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer should have the inside track to backing up the second-year Minnesota QB to his “unique quality” of wanting to be coached, according to Minnesota offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr.
Brosmer played one season of college ball for the Golden Gophers after playing his first four seasons with the University of New Hampshire — Brosmer earned an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic and also had a medical red shirt while at UNH in 2021.
Brosmer, who the Vikings signed after he went unselected at the 2025 NFL Draft, is in a competition with veterans Sam Howell and Brett Rypien for one of the two backup QB spots behind McCarthy.
Why Is Max Brosmer Unique?
Minnesota fans only got to watch Brosmer one season, and his numbers don’t exactly jump off the page.
Brosmer did complete 66.5 percent of his passes, but in pass-happy FBS, he only threw for 2,828 yards and 18 touchdowns, which ranked 42nd and tied for 47th in FBS respectively.
But according to Harbaugh, who is no relation to those Harbaughs, even though he lacks draft pedigree and NFL experience, Brosmer is worthy of a roster spot in the NFL because of his mind.
“By the time he stepped on campus, he knew the entire offense,” Harbaugh told SI Vikings. “Our first player practice, Darius Taylor came up to me after the practice and said, ‘coach this guy knows more of the offense than I do.’ He just picked up on it so fast.
“I learned that he wanted to be coached on every single play. It’s a unique quality because a lot of kids don’t want to be coached that way. They don’t want feedback all the time — positive or negative.”
But Brosmer’s numbers from New Hampshire were impressive and also speak to his spectacular skill set. In 2023, he led Football Championship Subdivision in yards (3,464) and had 29 touchdowns in just 11 games.
After Brosmer transferred from New Hampshire, he and Harbaugh worked well together, and the quarterback also showed off his work ethic.
“We would meet in January and February in the office at 5:15, 5:30 [a.m.] and we would go until the staff got in,” Harbaugh said. “Then he would sit there with the staff and talk about things… that’s how he got it so fast.”
How Do The Vikings Feel About Max Brosmer?
The Vikings have as great of a quarterback development system as any NFL team, and Brosmer has stood out to head coach/QB guru Kevin O’Connell.
I think Max is as smart as any young player that I’ve been around,” O’Connell told SI Vikings after OTAs.
O’Connell noticed the similarities between his offense and Minnesota’s offense, which is why he was interested in signing Brosmer after the draft.
“We spent some time with their coaching staff — sharing ideas and how we do things and some of the ways we teach things,” O’Connell said. “So there’s some good carryover for things that he’s done during his time with the Gophers.”
Brosmer also impressed O’Connell by showing him the full package as a quarterback.
“Just pretty efficient thrower of the football from a standpoint of fundamentals, technique, his ability to generate some pretty good revolutions and RPMs on the ball with pretty limited movement in the pocket,” O’Connell said. “From a standpoint of his high football IQ – I think it shows up when he can arrive here, spend a couple hours in meetings, and he’s out there making corrections in the middle of a 7-on-7 walk-through.”
