When quarterback Max Brosmer takes the field as the Minnesota Vikings‘ starter against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, he will do so as the team’s second signal-caller this year taking his first-ever NFL snap as QB1.
The undrafted rookie has impressed head coach Kevin O’Connell and his staff ever since the team added him in late spring, working his way up to second-string amid several injuries, trades and cuts along the way.
A concussion suffered by second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who started his first professional game in September, cleared the path for Brosmer to earn his promotion.
A now extensive injury history for McCarthy over his first two years, which includes a ligament tear in his knee, a high-ankle sprain and a concussion, as well as poor play are also likely to pave the way for a new addition — or several — to the Vikings’ QB room next spring.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported earlier this week that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has interest in a deal that would move him to Minnesota ahead of the fourth, and potentially final, season of his rookie contract in 2026.
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“O’Connell also has respect for Richardson, who could be the next reclamation QB to thrive elsewhere,” Fowler wrote Wednesday. “Richardson has interest in playing for a coach from the Sean McVay tree, either the man himself or a disciple like O’Connell.”
Richardson is a former No. 4 overall pick of the Colts in 2023, though injuries and developmental struggles across his first two seasons led to Daniel Jones beating him out for the starting spot this preseason. Jones, who was briefly a member of the Vikings in 2024 but never played a snap for the team, has led Indianapolis to an 8-3 record and looks to be their quarterback of the future.
Meanwhile, Richardson has elite arm and leg talent that has yet to materialize in the pros. O’Connell is among the best developers at the position in the league, and the Vikings can’t enter next season without a viable long-term option beyond McCarthy.
The team could also use a viable short-term replacement if McCarthy struggles with his play or injury again in early 2026, which may mean the addition of a veteran like Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett via free agency come next March.
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