Max Brosmer's 53-Man Roster Hopes Are Fading as Vikings Prepare for Preseason Week 2

The Minnesota Vikings showed a lot of faith in University of Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer when they made him a priority free-agent signing following the 2025 NFL Draft. In fact, the team liked him so much that he saw action in seven games last season, even starting two contests.

Brosmer was not impressive when he saw action, but he was an undrafted free agent who didn't come with lofty expectations. He threw 71 passes as a rookie, failing to throw a single touchdown but tossing four interceptions.

Attention in the quarterback room was largely centered on the quarterback battle between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy. But even the resolution of that competition leaves the Vikings with uncertainty on the depth chart with Brosmer and veteran passer Carson Wentz.

Is the window closing for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer to make the team's 53-man roster?

Brosmer is only 25 years old, making it far too soon to throw in the towel on the 6'2", 218-pound quarterback. But the Vikings need to decide what to do with him while they give him time to learn and develop.

Saturday's performance against the New York Giants in the purple and gold's first preseason game didn't help Brosmer's case to make Minnesota's 53-man roster. In fact, the opposite could be said for how the Vikings handled the situation at quarterback in that game.

Wentz was clearly the quarterback that head coach Kevin O'Connell trusted the most when the preseason game was on the line. Brosmer threw two passes and completed one of those for six yards, while Wentz re-entered the game for the closing minutes and finished nine-of-14 for 81 yards and a touchdown.

Brosmer entered the game in the third quarter but left after just three plays on one drive due to a thumb injury. Coach O'Connell noted that the second-year passer wanted to return to the game, but he and the team felt more comfortable keeping him on the sidelines.

The pecking order at quarterback seems clear for the Vikings, and Brosmer is at the bottom of that list. The game against the Giants was a great opportunity for him to improve his position and make the competition for QB3 more interesting. However, Wentz looked good in his time on the field, and that gap between him and Brosmer has widened.

Minnesota is highly unlikely to keep four quarterbacks on its 53-man roster, meaning Brosmer has to convince the team that he is worthy of a roster spot. At the moment, he hasn't done that. But there is also the question of whether or not the Vikings feel confident enough to cut him and sign him to the practice squad.

Will Minnesota gamble and cut Brosmer, hoping that he doesn't sign with another team and that they can re-sign him to the practice squad? Or will Brosmer make the most of his remaining opportunities and convince the Vikings that they need to keep him on the roster? Time is running out for him to convince the coaching staff to protect him from signing with another team if he is part of the final roster cuts for the 2026 NFL season.

Get Vikings On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google