Max Brosmer Is a Surprise Winner From Kyler Murray Earning Vikings QB1 Job

The Vikings' training camp isn't close to being over, but one position battle is. Hours before Tuesday's practice, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Vikings have ended their quarterback competition, naming Kyler Murray as the QB1 with less than a month to go before the regular season. As such, J.J. McCarthy's bid to be the No. 1 sign-caller is over.

ESPN sources: the Vikings have named Kyler Murray their starting QB. pic.twitter.com/VBE4azfGoF
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 11, 2026

Despite having yet to play a game in a Vikings jersey, Murray's strong training camp performance made it abundantly clear that the QB1 job was his to lose early in training camp. More often than not, each passing practice solidified that fact, leaving McCarthy with an uncertain future in Eagan.

Of course, Murray being named the starting signal-caller doesn't only impact McCarthy. The Vikings' decision also means that Max Brosmer's outlook with the franchise could look much different than it did at the start of training camp.

Max Brosmer's QB3 odds improve after Vikings name Kyler Murray the QB1

Vikings fans had high hopes for Brosmer after joining the Vikings as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Minnesota last offseason. He showed promise with 364 passing yards and two touchdowns (with an interception) in three preseason appearances, leaving fans with hope that he and McCarthy could be a solid QB tandem for years to come.

Most of that goodwill was stripped away when Brosmer was forced to make his first NFL start against the Seahawks in Week 13.

Although there's nothing wrong with losing to the eventual Super Bowl Champions, Brosmer did little to provide optimism, going 19-for-30 (63.3%) in the pocket with 126 yards and four interceptions in the 26-0 loss. He looked more poised in the three appearances that followed (including a start), but it wasn't enough to avoid being a huge question mark this offseason.

Max Brosmer gets ready to throw. — Hopefully, Max Brosmer's four-interception performance vs. the Seahawks was a one-off instance. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fast forward to Murray being named the Vikings' starting arm, and the conversation will shift to who will be the QB2 and QB3.

Given that McCarthy has left much to be desired (both in his early career and this offseason), head coach Kevin O'Connell might be more comfortable giving the backup job to Carson Wentz, who's a former NFL MVP finalist with 99 career starts and a Super Bowl ring under his belt. It's also worth mentioning that Wentz has looked solid in training camp, with Vikings OnSI's Jason Harmon remarking about his mechanics last week.

In a world where Wentz is named the QB2, it's hard to imagine McCarthy sticking around as the third-stringer—whether he wants to or not. Having him in the QB3 spot would be a distraction, and the Vikings would be better off cutting their losses and trading him elsewhere, with a potential deal leading to dead cap hits of $3.1 million in 2026 and 2027, as well as $2.7 million in savings this year, per Spotrac.

Besides, having a former first-round pick as the QB3 isn't exactly great for optics.

Having Wentz as the backup quarterback with Brosmer learning under him as the QB3 isn't a bad idea at all. Yes, the former Golden Gopher left much to be desired in Year 1; however, Brosmer is only 25 years old and could look more at home with another season in O'Connell's scheme. If it works out, great. If not, it wouldn't be a huge loss, as the majority of his cap hit—just over $1 million—will come off the books with a cut at any point.

Other than Murray being at the top, the QB room's pecking order is still malleable. Brosmer's outlook might not be glistening at the moment, but it's brighter than it was as recently as a few days ago. If he can string together some strong practices, as well as capitalize on any preseason opportunities he gets, there's a good chance that Brosmer could be the Vikings' QB3 once Week 1 of the regular season arrives.

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