Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell will have chance to prove his coaching chops once again with latest J.J. McCarthy news

Max Brosmer is set to get the start on Sunday afternoon against the Seattle Seahawks, and his performance could change the future of the Vikings.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer (12) enters the game in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 3 game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. The Vikings won, 48-10.
Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2025 season for the Minnesota Vikings has taken another turn on Friday afternoon. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy was in the concussion protocol after Sunday’s 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The hope was he would be able to return on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, but that will not be happening, as he was officially ruled out.

Kevin O’Connell has another chance to prove his coaching chops with Max Brosmer

Not having McCarthy is a tough blow to the Vikings’ already tough season. Yes, McCarthy wasn’t exactly playing well, and had his worst performance against the Packers. However, sitting down isn’t exactly going to help him grow and develop into a good starting quarterback.

In McCarthy’s place will be rookie undrafted free agent Max Brosmer. He played his final season of college football at the University of Minnesota, and developed a relationship with head coach Kevin O’Connell during the two pro days where Brosmer was throwing.

“Getting to go to his pro day, he threw at two straight Minnesota pro days with the rules being what they are now,” said O’Connell. Getting two years of exposure in the pre-draft process, getting to watch him throw the football in person. And then, both those times you’re getting over there, you’re spending time with those guys, you’re having conversations with them, and then obviously, being really close with P.J. [Fleck] and being able to kind of pick his brain a little bit throughout, long before Max ever even enters the draft process when he first arrived from New Hampshire kind of his fit and what they were trying to do.”

It was all over his college film that Brosmer didn’t just fit the Golden Gophers’ offense, but he fit the offense that O’Connell runs like a glove. The one thing they both share is throwing over the middle of the field with anticipation, and Brosmer does really well at that.

Where things get really interesting is how O’Connell will do in trying to maximize him. He did an excellent job in 2023, maximizing Josh Dobbs and Nick Mullens, but it didn’t last, mainly due to them not being great quarterbacks. Those performances earned him the nickname quarterback whisperer. Will he be able to maximize Brosmer in the same way? If he does, there will be a lot of interesting discussions about him in both the short and long term.

Sunday’s game could be pivotal for the future of the franchise, and Brosmer has everything in front of him.

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