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David Levine -> RE: General Vikes Talkk (11/26/2025 3:02:40 PM)
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• Max Brosmer, the undrafted rookie quarterback who'll likely start for the Vikings on Sunday in Seattle if struggling starter J.J. McCarthy can't clear concussion protocol in time, is an intriguing player for Minnesota. He spent the bulk of his college career at New Hampshire before finishing with one year at the University of Minnesota, whose offense I'm told features some of the concepts the Vikings' offense uses. The expectation from those I've talked to about Brosmer is that he'll be prepared and efficient and able to operate Kevin O'Connell's offense on time. He's not as athletically talented as McCarthy (hence, being undrafted), but the Vikings love his football IQ and ability to process. The hope is that he can bring some stability and consistency to the offense that hasn't been there amid McCarthy's struggles.
It's going to be a tough test against Mike Macdonald's defense, but quite frankly, McCarthy's performance hasn't set the bar very high. The Vikings still insist they believe in McCarthy and plan for him to be the franchise QB moving forward. But if Brosmer shows some level of ability to get the ball into the hands of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison consistently, it's going to be very interesting to see what Minnesota does once McCarthy is cleared to play again.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47096100/nfl-week-13-buzz-news-updates-fantasy-intel-questions-predictions
Fowler's notes:
• The Vikings' quarterback plight will inevitably affect their 2026 plans. Save an unexpected star turn from Brosmer this weekend, the Vikings might have no choice but to stick with McCarthy through the rest of the season. Alternatives are scarce with Carson Wentz out for the year. A few people inside the league I've spoken to wonder whether Minnesota can follow the Colts' blueprint from this past offseason, bringing in a veteran/reclamation project to compete with McCarthy and potentially start -- similar to Daniel Jones vs. Anthony Richardson Sr. in Indy.
The funny thing about that scenario is Jones would be an ideal fit in Minnesota, where he backed up Sam Darnold last season. But as the top free agent quarterback, he will score a sizable deal in Indianapolis or elsewhere. Still, the Vikings really liked Jones, and their situation this offseason will be far different than the one from a year ago. Making a play for Jones would give him multiple options to consider.
Rodgers wanted to be a Viking last year and will also be a free agent, and the Vikings kept tabs on Joe Flacco's free agency last spring, and he has been effective for multiple teams in recent years. He could be a sensible fallback plan. Arizona's Kyler Murray could become available should the Cardinals decide to start fresh at the position, too. His chances to play again this season are seemingly becoming slimmer by the week.
Two interesting names from the high-end QB2 realm are San Francisco's Mac Jones and Houston's Davis Mills. Both are under contract in 2026 at reasonable salaries. Jones has played his way into real trade value for San Francisco, which might be able to parlay a Day 2 pick for him. Houston believes Mills is a top-32 quarterback in the league who could start somewhere. Perhaps GM Nick Caserio gets trade interest on him from Minnesota or elsewhere. O'Connell's track record with veterans is proven, so it feels like that's a viable option for next year, and there's a way to do it without ostracizing McCarthy, via competition. And O'Connell also has respect for Richardson, who could be the next reclamation QB to thrive elsewhere. Richardson has interest in playing for a coach from the Sean McVay tree, either the man himself or a disciple like O'Connell.
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