Who is Max Brosmer? Vikings rookie starts with J.J. McCarthy in concussion protocol

The Minnesota Vikings take on the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, looking to end a run of three straight losses.

The task at hand has been complicated by the loss of quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who sustained a heavy hit in last weekend’s 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers. McCarthy reported concussion symptoms during the flight home to Minnesota last week and Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has confirmed that McCarthy has entered into the concussion protocol and will not play against the Seahawks.

With McCarthy out, the Vikings will hand a first career start to Max Brosmer, the rookie quarterback.

Brosmer went undrafted at the 2025 NFL Draft but he signed with the Vikings in April. He made his first NFL appearance against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 21 and has a decent record in his brief NFL career to date, completing five of eight passes.

The situation is far from ideal for Minnesota, and the team’s frustrations will be amplified by the sight of Sam Darnold suiting up for the Seahawks on Sunday. Darnold was allowed to leave the Vikings last offseason and he has starred in Seattle, putting up seven games of 240+ passing yards already.

Speaking ahead of the game, Brosmer sounded relaxed about the prospect of a first NFL start and praised the team for being welcoming in his rookie year.

“You go into a locker room, and it can be cliquey sometimes, and that’s not this locker room at all,” Brosmer explained. “There’s not a clique in this locker room; everyone is one big melting pot. And coming into that as a QB is really cool, where you feel like you kind of just mesh right in with the huddle and mesh around the team.

“Breaking down the team today was really cool,” he continued. “Everything just felt — I felt there was a really cool unity with the team, and I’m proud and honored to be a part of that. And I’m excited for the team to go showcase that this weekend.”

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