Report: Max Brosmer to Start for MN Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are set to face old friend Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, with the two teams heading in opposite directions this year. After winning 14 games with the Vikings last year, Darnold got paid and has the Seahawks rocking an 8-3 record, while Kevin O’Connell and Minnesota are 4-7.

Over the offseason Darnold, Daniel Jones, and others were passed over by the Vikings, because leadership felt like J.J. McCarthy was the right guy to take over. So far they couldn’t have been more wrong, and now, after suffering a concussion last week against Green Bay, McCarthy’s set to miss more time.

Dianni Russini confirms it’s Max Brosmer time for Minnesota

J.J. McCarthy has played just six of a possible 11 games for Minnesota this season. Last week’s concussion adds to an ankle and hand injury he’s dealt with already. So, as he has done plenty during his young career, he will miss a game. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini has reported that Max Brosmer will be under center for Kevin O’Connell.

With McCarthy out again Sunday, it’s Max Brosmer time. The undrafted rookie, making his first NFL start, has evaluators using words like calm, organized and efficient. I’m told by a scout who liked him in college at New Hampshire and Minnesota, “He’s not flashy, but neither was Brock Purdy when he first got tossed into the fire for the 49ers and won the job.”

At this point, the Vikings just need some type of spark at quarterback. Brosmer might not be the long-term answer. But O’Connell has another shot to stabilize this offense, squeeze something out of a season veering sideways, and, if nothing else, give maybe the best receiver in football, Justin Jefferson, a reason to smile again. The star wideout has stayed patient all season despite the quiet stat lines.

Dianni Russini – The Athletic

Through six games, McCarthy has led the Vikings to a 2-4 record with a completion rate of just 54.1%. He has a 6/10 TD/INT ratio, and has consistently flopped on a weekly basis. Even prior to his concussion, there were valid concerns as to whether the Minnesota Vikings could keep running him out there.

Now it’s the Max Brosmer show. An undrafted free agent out of the University of Minnesota, Brosmer has shown a leadership ability well beyond his years. O’Connell and the Vikings brass were in attendance for his pro day prior to the draft, and he has flashed whenever given an opportunity.

It’s not as though Brosmer needs to set the world on fire Sunday, but he is being given an opportunity plenty of undrafted players never see. With the Vikings entering enemy territory as 10.5 point underdogs, he can play loose and with virtually nothing to lose.

MN Vikings miss will be front and center on Sunday

In the first opportunity Minnesota has to showcase J.J. McCarthy against Sam Darnold, the guy they let walk, their new quarterback is unavailable. The plan made sense, but as Russini points out, it’s hard not to question how they got it so wrong.

The Vikings took a massive and costly swing this offseason, spending more than any NFC team. They walked away from 14-game winner Sam Darnold. They lost Daniel Jones to the Indianapolis Colts. They passed on four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers. From everything I’ve gathered, money wasn’t the hang-up in any of those situations; it was ultimately all about betting on J.J. McCarthy.

The 40-year-old coach’s point: NFL teams cycle through young quarterbacks and often have only themselves to blame. And now O’Connell, staring at that potential scenario in real time, is doing everything to keep this ship from sinking on his watch, even as the waves get taller by the week.

This could be the reset the Vikings desperately need. Right now, the question ringing through the building and across the league is impossible to ignore: “Why did you ever let Sam Darnold go?”

Dianna Russini – The Athletic

Realistically it’s probably not as straightforward as “Why did you ever let Sam Darnold go?” There are $100 million reasons for that answer. The bigger question is why Daniel Jones wasn’t told he would start, despite a decent offer. Or maybe why wasn’t Aaron Rodgers given more thought?

At any rate, McCarthy has flopped, and now the Vikings need to figure things out in both the short and long term. For the immediate future, the answer is Brosmer. What happens from there remains to be seen. He can make a statement on Sunday against the Seahawks, though.