Max Brosmer makes an impact wherever he lands, as undrafted Minnesota QB sticks with Vikings
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Max Brosmer was back on campus for Minnesota's season opener, standing by the Gophers on their sideline while wearing a No. 5 jersey bearing the name of his successor, Drake Lindsey.
The visit was easy for Brosmer. He's playing just down the road with the Vikings now, an undrafted rookie on an NFL active roster who played only one year of major college football.
That's an improbable path, but nobody who's been around Brosmer — from his youth in Georgia to his FCS success at New Hampshire to his lone season of Big Ten competition at Minnesota — is surprised by how quickly he gained his footing as a pro.
“I kind of get speechless about it sometimes. I think in the moment, probably the first couple hours, it was pretty surreal when I found out,” Brosmer said. “Then it was like, ‘Snap out of it. We’ve got to get back to the grind.’ I couldn’t be more grateful to be in a spot here with the Vikings. I just love coming to the office every single day with this team — some of the best people I’ve ever met and been around.”
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and his staff first saw Brosmer’s bonus throwing session at Minnesota’s pro day workout in 2024 after he’d transferred from New Hampshire, an advance showing that raised awareness and interest in his season with the Gophers.
After he set the program record for completions (268) and finished with the second-best completion rate (66.5%) in Gophers history while turning a typically run-heavy offense into a potent passing team, Brosmer did nothing but brighten his pro prospects.
Still, after going undrafted, he figured to be destined for the practice squad — until the Vikings saw on a daily basis how dedicated, coachable and intelligent he is. His performance in training camp practices and preseason games, frequently playing with deep reserves who didn’t make the team, made clear that trying to sneak him through waivers would be too big of a risk if they wanted to keep him.
“I think Max is one of the hardest working young guys that I’ve been around,” O’Connell said.
Brosmer's processing speed, aided in part by one of his hobbies, playing chess, in reading the defense and scanning through the priority rank of his receivers is exceptional. His extreme commitment to preparation through film study and mastering a complicated playbook has helped him make up for the lesser amounts of size, arm strength and speed that contributed to him being lightly recruited out of high school in the Atlanta area and skipped over in the 257-selection NFL draft last spring.
“I haven’t been as physically gifted as some people in this profession. I think when you’re kind of on the shorter end of that stick you have to kind of outwork people mentally," Brosmer said. "You have to know your superpower.”
He'll likely be the No. 3 quarterback behind J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft who missed his rookie year with a knee injury, and recent acquisition Carson Wentz, the second overall pick in the 2016 draft. At this point, though, draft status is meaningless.
“If you get too caught up on where you came from and the past I think it’s difficult to be in the moment and be where your feet are,” Brosmer said. “I think everybody has their own path, and everything happens for a reason. I went to Minnesota for a reason, and I ended up with the Vikings for a reason. Whether I was going to come from New Hampshire or come from Minnesota to make it to the NFL, I’m confident in my ability to be able to play at this level.”
While he's staying present with the Vikings, that doesn't mean he's forgotten his past. Brosmer joined Lindsey, a redshirt freshman who became a close friend, at dinner last week to reconnect and reiterate his support. Gophers coach P.J. Fleck even awarded Brosmer a game ball after the season-opening victory, praising the example of leadership he set for Lindsey last year.
“That kid leaves his imprint and his legacy everywhere he goes,” Fleck said.
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