Credit: Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings entered 2025 training camp with a ton of questions surrounding their quarterback room. As free agency started heating up, it became quite clear that head coach Kevin O’Connell was ready to hand the keys of his offense to 2024 No. 10 overall draft pick, JJ McCarthy.
That was a good thing, but as the weeks and months went by, worries surrounding the arm talent and experience below their redshirt rookie starter on the depth chart began to fester. Concern only grew when Sam Howell rolled an underwhelming start to training camp into an unimpressive preseason.
Immediately after the NFL Draft back in April, though, the MN Vikings made what could, in retrospect, be one of the best UDFA signings in modern franchise history, inking one-and-done Minnesota Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer for a measly $250K.
Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
By the time roster cuts were due, Max had climbed from a no-chance QB4 all the way to QB2 on Minnesota’s preseason depth chart, surpassing two veterans, Brett Rypien and Sam Howell along the way. In just four months, Brosmer had made himself uncuttable.
Minnesota Vikings tell Max Brosmer to cool his jets…?
What makes Max Brosmer different than other young quarterbacks who enter the NFL is his high-end professional work ethic. In fact, his insatiable drive to get better has even caused some unforeseen conversations in Eagan.
On the latest episode of the “Access Vikings” podcast, which was held live from the Minnesota State Fair, Star Tribune beat writer, Andrew Krammer revealed that there have been times over the past few months that the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff has had to tell Max Brosmer to “back off”.
Woah! Looks like the Vikings staff either had to tell QB3 Max Brosmer to back off because he was taking up to much of their time away from JJ McCarthy or that they told him early on they can’t because they’re work is focused on McCarthy.
“Well with JJ, I think they’re telling… pic.twitter.com/slNQtI3bDN
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) August 30, 2025
“He told me earlier in training camp, ‘I live here and coaches have to tell me to back off sometimes, like hey man, it’s gonna be alright…Well with JJ, I think they’re telling Max Brosmer to back off because they need more time with JJ. Max said, like, I have to understand I’m not the priority.”
Andrew Krammer – Access Vikings (Star Tribune)
Related: Vikings Superstar Happy to Save Adam Thielen
In a recent interview scrum with Vikings media, Brosmer admitted that he’s struggled a bit not being the No. 1 guy. He knows his role, but his insatiable appetite to get better can sometimes wear on coaches. He described it as a “demand to be coached”.
O’Connell has even made mention on JJ and Max have been quite a handful for some of the lower-ranking coaches in the MN Vikings organization. Not because they are wearing out their stay at 21+ clubs in downtown Minneapolis, but because the two youngsters won’t leave TCO Performance Center.
According to O’Connell, Brosmer and McCarthy are often the first and last people in the building, joking that quarterback coaches Josh McCown and Jordan Traylor must not be getting a lot of sleep thanks to the pair.
Is there such thing as working too hard, caring too much?
Of course, we can file Brosmer’s ‘weaknesses’ — which similar to Michael Scott, are really just strengths — into the ‘extremely good problems to have’ folder. And, by all accounts, JJ McCarthy works just as hard as Max Brosmer.
Owners, coaches and front office executives across the NFL would give arms, legs and pretty much any of their outer extremities to get their hands on two <25 year old quarterbacks who work as hard as JJ McCarthy and Max Brosmer.
“I haven’t been as physically gifted as some people in this profession. I think when you’re on the shorter end of that stick, you have to outwork people mentally.”#Vikings QB Max Brosmer’s mindset is key to why he’s on Minnesota’s 53 man rosterpic.twitter.com/zms5n5o3gr
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 28, 2025
J.J. McCarthy on Max Brosmer: “Max is the man. Super detail-oriented. Works his butt off. I can’t say enough good things about that guy. An awesome human being, and he can sing pretty well, too. He’s got a song out there. Old Jack Daniels. Check it out.”
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) July 30, 2025
Related: QB Expert Would Take JJ McCarthy Over Everyone
Nonetheless, there is a quarterback pecking order in Eagan. McCarthy (22) is a 1st round pick, and two years younger than Brosmer (24). And while the Minnesota Vikings mostly work with an unlimited budget, there are only so much QB coaching to go around, let alone practice reps.
Since cutting the quarterback room down to just JJ McCarthy and Max Brosmer, the Vikings have gone out and signed Carson Wentz, as veteran insurance at the position, being the other two guys have ZERO reps under their professional QB belts.
Still, I’m not convinced the 32-year-old former NDSU Bison will ever take the job from the 24-year-old former Gopher on Minnesota’s QB depth chart.
@realmnsportsfan You CANNOT convince me Carson Wentz > Max Brosmer for Vikings QB2. #changemymind #vikings #skol #mnvikings #minnesotavikings #vikingsfootball #gophers #gopherfootball #skiumah #rtb ♬ original sound – Minnesota Sports Fan
Mentioned in this article: J.J. McCarthy Max Brosmer
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