The Minnesota Vikings stocked the roster with quarterbacks this offseason to make sure they have options if things go awry under center like they did last year, but even taking a safer route comes with some risk.
As training camp approaches at July’s end, the potential cost to the position group is looking like second-year signal-caller Max Brosmer.
Minnesota brought back veteran Carson Wentz following five starts in 2025 (2-3), after which a shoulder injury sidelined him for the remainder of the campaign. Wentz profiles as the QB3 behind Kyler Murray and JJ McCarthy, who are currently battling for the starting spot.
Alec Lewis of The Athletic noted earlier this week that the team still likes Brosmer after injuries forced him into action as an undrafted rookie free agent last year before he was truly prepared, which led to Brosmer struggling.
“Optimism for Brosmer persists,” Lewis wrote. “The Vikings wished he didn’t have to play during his rookie season, but circumstances thrust him into the spotlight. Release him, and opposing teams will have interest.”
Max Brosmer’s Best Chance to Remain With Vikings May Be JJ McCarthy Departure
GettyQuarterback Max Brosmer of the Minnesota Vikings.
The issue for the Vikings is that there probably isn’t room to carry four quarterbacks into the regular season. Minnesota could try and store the 25-year-old on the practice squad for a time, but eventually another team will likely come calling.
The best chance for Brosmer to stick with the Vikings is for the QB1 battle to play out definitively, then for whichever player wins the job between Murray and McCarthy to remain healthy and productive through the first couple months of the season.
In that scenario, and using the example of Murray winning the role, the Vikings might consider dealing McCarthy ahead of the early November trade deadline — assuming enough value is there for the recent top-10 pick.
Max Brosmer Unlikely to Beat Out Carson Wentz for Vikings’ QB3 Role During Preseason
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz.
Unfortunately for Brosmer, the Vikings aren’t likely to give up on McCarthy at this juncture, regardless of how the preseason battle plays out.
He is still just 23 years old. Meanwhile Murray is a smaller QB who isn’t the most natural fit for the Vikings’ system and is on a one-year deal. If things go poorly for Murray, Minnesota probably moves on next offseason, and McCarthy will remain a reasonable safety net heading into the fourth year of his rookie contract in 2027.
If things go well for Murray in Minneapolis this season, his price will go way up next March. Again, McCarthy could provide a safety net for the franchise if it decides it doesn’t want to pay big money on a multi-year contract for a player in Murray with a meaningful injury history who will soon be on the wrong side of 30 (he turns 29 this August).
Brosmer’s other best hope of elevating to QB3 at some point before Week 1 is an injury to Wentz.
Minnesota paid the 10-year veteran $3 million on a one-year contract in 2026 and guaranteed almost all of it. Furthermore, Wentz was better than Brosmer across more meaningful snaps in 2026, so it’s hard to picture a world in which Brosmer plays well enough in the preseason to take Wentz’s job outright before mid-September — barring some type of serious injury concern.
Vikings Risk Losing Homegrown QB Absent JJ McCarthy Trade