HEADLINES

Max Brosmer

Vikings Submitted Daniel Jones Better Offer Than Colts

October 31st, 2025 at 1:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Completing one of the more stunning first halves in recent NFL history, the Colts enter Week 9 an NFL-best 7-1. Their offense has rolled to a historic modern-era point, scoring more points through eight games than any post-merger team in franchise history. At the center of this surprising charge: Daniel Jones, who needed to beat out Anthony Richardson for the starting job.

Richardson is now on IR, and Jones’ performance through eight games both showed no indication the QB competition would be revisited and has rocketed the Colts’ enduring core back to relevance. Jones chose the Colts over the Vikings in free agency, and Minnesota has seen its QB quality drop significantly after also letting Sam Darnold walk. While the Vikes did not aggressively pursue a second Darnold contract, The Athletic’s Michael Silver notes they did expect to re-sign Jones as J.J. McCarthy insurance.

At the time the Colts signed Jones to a one-year, $14MM contract, it was known the Vikings made an offer to keep the QB — one they mostly employed as a practice squad stash late last season (Jones was not even the backup in the Vikings’ playoff game). However, Silver reports the Vikings made a bigger offer — one that topped the $13.15MM guarantee in the Colts’ proposal.

Shortly before the legal tampering period, we heard the Colts were preparing to enter the Jones market. Jones faceplanting on his four-year, $160MM Giants deal naturally did not lead to a multiyear guarantee. But the market for his “prove it” deal did escalate. Jones, 28, determined his best chance to see immediate action came in Indianapolis. Being in the building as the Vikings were grooming McCarthy, Jones correctly surmised he had a better chance to unseat Richardson than delay McCarthy’s ascent.

Jones went so far as to communicate to the Vikings, per Silver, Kevin O’Connell‘s presence creating a QB-friendly infrastructure would lead to McCarthy succeeding — and thus little chance for the veteran free agent to block his path. The Vikings continued down this road with Aaron Rodgers, who almost definitely would have blocked McCarthy’s route to the lineup.

Rodgers expressed interest in joining O’Connell in Minnesota, pegging the Vikings as his preferred destination. But he ended up in Pittsburgh, forming a partnership in which neither side received its desired outcome (the Steelers had wanted to either re-sign Justin Fields or trade for Matthew Stafford over signing Rodgers).

With Jones committed to Indianapolis, Minnesota traded for Sam Howell during the draft and signed Max Brosmer as a UDFA. Howell’s struggles in camp led to the Vikings trading him to the Eagles and then signing Carson Wentz. The Wentz experiment is over, as the QB nomad is out for the season with a shoulder injury, while Brosmer is still being prioritized as Minnesota’s QB2.

Entering the season as the Vikings’ third-stringer, Brosmer (per Silver) drew some internal Brock Purdy comps. It is obviously too early there, but Purdy did impress as a 49ers third-stringer behind Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo in 2022 — before injuries opened the door to the starting job. Brosmer is now one injury away, and while McCarthy is returning in Week 9, the former top-10 pick has already suffered two notable maladies since entering the NFL.

Prior to the 2024 draft, Vikings ownership was believed to be pushing for a young quarterback who could keep the role long term. This offseason, Silver adds the Mark and Zygi Wilf remain committed to seeing if McCarthy can be that long-term answer.

The Vikings did roster Kirk Cousins for six years but had not had much luck through the draft since 1999 first-rounder Daunte Culpepper. The former standout’s severe knee injury — sustained shortly after the Wilfs bought the team — in 2005 wrecked his Twin Cities stay, leading to a slew of veterans. Teddy Bridgewater‘s injury-marred stay interrupted this, and McCarthy’s meniscus tear last year reminded of some unfortunate knee-related setbacks for Minnesota QBs. The Vikings will now hope McCarthy can prove O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah right for passing on franchise-tagging Darnold or signing Rodgers.

The Jones offer does show some degree of hesitancy with McCarthy this year, as the Vikings offered more than they paid Darnold in 2024 (one year, $10MM). Jones is flourishing in Indy, sitting third in QBR during a bounce-back season. The Colts, whose QB carousel has spun much faster than the Vikings’ in recent years, are interested in extending him. The Vikings reside as an interesting “what if?” for the former first-round quarterback.

Vikings’ QB Search Will Not Affect Max Brosmer’s Status

October 28th, 2025 at 3:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold faring well after relocating in free agency, the Vikings’ primary 2025 starter — Carson Wentz — is done for the season. That will relaunch J.J. McCarthy‘s initial effort to justify his draft slot during a Minnesota season far off last year’s pace.

McCarthy is on track to return from a high ankle sprain in Week 9. The 2024 No. 10 overall pick has missed five games, certainly on the high end for this injury, but will be set for a reemergence against the Lions. Minnesota has been cautious with its top QB asset, but a key phase in his development will come soon.

Wentz’s move to IR will impact the Vikings’ depth chart, and while the team could theoretically look for a stopgap to provide more cover in the event it wants to keep slow-playing McCarthy’s return, it appears a depth addition is the more likely course of action. The team’s QB addition — should there be one — will not affect Max Brosmer‘s standing as the top McCarthy backup, Kevin O’Connell said (via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert).

This proclamation shows considerable respect to a rookie UDFA who entered the season as the team’s third-stringer. Though, the Vikings did carry the local product onto their active roster — rather than waive him on cutdown day — to avoid a team poaching him. The Minnesota alum has thrown eight regular-season passes, most recently finishing out the Vikings’ loss to the Chargers on Thursday.

The Vikes nabbed Brosmer in May, giving him a $244K guarantee to sign as part of the UDFA class. The 6-foot-2 passer initially played at Division I-FCS New Hampshire before transferring to Minnesota in 2024. Brosmer started that season for the Golden Gophers, throwing 18 touchdown passes and six interceptions during a year that featured a 66.5% completion rate. Brosmer only averaged 7.0 yards per attempt, however, and profiled as something of a fixer-upper entering the NFL. O’Connell has been known to elevate QBs during his Twin Cities stay, and he is attempting to develop Brosmer into a steady McCarthy backup.

Minnesota did trade for a quarterback following Kirk Cousins‘ Achilles tear in October 2023, and Josh Dobbs quickly took over as the team’s starter. With the Vikes letting Darnold and Jones walk to clear a path for McCarthy — during an offseason in which Aaron Rodgers‘ efforts to play for O’Connell were not reciprocated by the team — this situation does not closely remind of where the franchise stood in 2023.

But McCarthy will need to show improvement based on where he was in September. The Vikings are set to give him that chance, and with no intention of demoting Brosmer, McCarthy will have no internal challenges to his job. The team does not have a quarterback on its practice squad, so a move will need to come soon. Given McCarthy’s injury history, O’Connell endorsing Brosmer as QB2 is rather important as the Vikings still try to compete for a playoff spot.

Vikings Place C Ryan Kelly On IR; J.J. McCarthy Uncertain For Week 7

October 4th, 2025 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

The Vikings continue to be burdened with injuries in 2025. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network was the first to report today that Vikings center Ryan Kelly will be placed on injured reserve. The team’s official announcement shows that Minnesota will be getting a body back from IR, though, as it activates fullback C.J. Ham.

Kelly is in his first season with the Vikings after spending the first nine years of his career with the Colts. The four-time Pro Bowler will miss the next four games after suffering his second concussion in three weeks. Kelly is no stranger to injuries; he’s only ever played in every game of the regular season three times in his career, most recently missing seven games last year.

Surgery for a broken bone in his Kelly’s foot sidelined him for the first four games of his second year in the league, and after he returned for seven games, a concussion sidelined him for the remainder of that year. Since then, recurrent concussions and neck injuries saw him frequent the sideline for a couple weeks each year. Last season, he added a knee injury to his list of ailments, causing a stay on IR as he recovered from surgery.

Minnesota decided to look past his extensive injury history when signing him because Kelly has routinely performed as one of the better, more consistent centers in the league. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Kelly was playing some of the best football of his career for the Vikings this season before landing on the injured list.

Kelly becomes the third offensive lineman, the sixth offensive player, and the eighth overall player to land on IR from the Vikings’ roster. To make matter worse, starting right tackle Brian O’Neill, starting left guard Donovan Jackson, and backup center Michael Jurgens have all been ruled out for this weekend on the team’s injury report, leaving only left tackle Christian Darrisaw and right guard Will Fries as the last starters standing in front of backup quarterback Carson Wentz, who is starting with J.J. McCarthy ruled out, as well.

Blake Brandel, who started every game for Minnesota at left guard last year, filled in for Jackson last week, but the team’s depth chart has him listed as the third option at center behind Kelly and Jurgens. Justin Skule is listed as the primary backup for both tackle spots, and Joe Huber and Walter Rouse were the only other remaining healthy backups on the 53-man roster before today’s transactions.

The Vikings waived quarterback Desmond Ridder in order to sign practice squad rookie offensive lineman Vershon Lee to the 53-man roster. Lee adds incredible versatility to the offensive line after starting 40 games at three different positions in college at South Carolina — 18 at center, 16 at left guard, and six at right tackle. He finished his career as a center and could be an option if the team wants to keep Brandel at left guard.

The team also used one of its two standard gameday practice squad elevations to call up guard Henry Byrd, who appeared in his first career game earlier this season after going undrafted in 2023. The other elevation was utilized to call up running back Cam Akers, as usual starter Aaron Jones is one of the six offensive players on IR.

The team cutting Ridder comes as a bit of a surprise considering some of the rumors surrounding McCarthy this weekend. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, sources have relayed that “McCarthy isn’t healthy, and while the target return has been Week 7 against the Eagles, it could still be longer.” This follows rumors that Minnesota may be using the injury to keep McCarthy off the field for a bit after they watched him struggle more than expected in his first two NFL games, arguing that the extra time could help him prepare a bit more for a return to play.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell has been extremely clear about the conditions for McCarthy’s return, though, saying that the second-year passer “won’t play until he’s had a full week of practice.” Since exiting Week 2 with an injury, he hasn’t yet practiced in any capacity. Still, O’Connell asserts that once his young quarterback is healthy, he’ll return to his starting role. With McCarthy still out and Ridder off the team, undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer stands as the only remaining quarterback on the roster to back up Wentz.

Despite a lot of tough news, the Vikings will see Ham return to the field. The two-time Pro Bowl fullback missed the start of the season with a knee injury. He’ll return to an offensive backfield that looks a bit different without the starting quarterback and running back.

Vikings S Harrison Smith To Debut In Week 3

September 20th, 2025 at 11:16am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Vikings safety Harrison Smith is expected to make his 2025 debut in Week 3 against the Bengals after recovering from a personal health issue that has sidelined him since August 11, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

Smith and the Vikings have declined to provide any information about the nature of Smith’s health problem, though he clarified it was a “physical” issue. Minnesota kept him on the 53-man roster to start the season believing he would be ready within the first four weeks of the season. Smith’s comments last week indicated that he was hoping to be back by Week 4 at the latest, but he has beat that timeline by one game.

Smith will retake his starting spot alongside Josh Metellus from fourth-year safety Theo Jackson, though Jackson will likely remain involved in the Vikings’ three-safety looks.

Brian Flores‘ defense has been a top-five unit against the pass through two games while struggling to stop the run. Most safeties are known for helping the former than the latter, but Smith has been an impactful run defender throughout his career. He has averaged 100 tackles and four tackles for loss per season, both solid numbers for a defensive back.

Also making his 2025 debut will be quarterback Carson Wentz, who is replaced injured starter J.J. McCarthy. Backing him up will be undrafted rookie Max Brosmer rather than recently-signed veteran Desmond Ridder, per Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper. Ridder will designated as the team’s emergency third quarterback.

Vikings Trade QB Sam Howell To Eagles; Minnesota Signs Carson Wentz

August 24th, 2025 at 11:27pm CST by Rory Parks

The Vikings are trading quarterback Sam Howell and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Eagles, per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. In exchange, Minnesota will receive a fifth- and seventh-round choice in 2026, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report that the team is also signing veteran passer Carson Wentz to replace Howell and to serve as the backup for J.J. McCarthy.

Wentz, 32, visited the Vikings yesterday, and the summit clearly went well. McCarthy, of course, missed his entire rookie season in 2024 due to injury, though the club’s faith in his ability to operate as the starting QB in 2025 never wavered. Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones were therefore allowed to leave in free agency, and Minnesota acquired Howell during April’s draft with the expectation that he would slot in behind McCarthy on the depth chart.

Howell played well in the club’s first preseason contest this summer, but he struggled in his second outing, completing one of five passes for 13 yards and an interception. He sat out the preseason finale on Friday as Brett Rypien and 2025 UDFA Max Brosmer shared the snaps under center.

In addition to adding a more experienced and accomplished voice in Wentz — who is familiar with HC Kevin O’Connell‘s offensive system — today’s transaction adds a bit more draft capital to the Vikings’ stockpile (just as the recent Harrison Phillips swap did). As multiple pundits, including ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, were quick to point out in the immediate aftermath of the Howell report, Minnesota is in the market for a wide receiver, and the Phillips and Howell trades could help facilitate a WR addition. Longtime Viking and current Panther Adam Thielen remains a target, but Fowler notes the club has multiple lines of inquiry open. Plus, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, Minnesota has been pleased with Brosmer and appears perfectly content to have him as the No. 3 QB.

Howell, meanwhile, continues a nomadic journey that is uncommon for such a young player. The Commanders’ 2022 draftee, who will turn 25 next month, started all 17 games for Washington in 2023, and he finished with a 4-13 record. The club was unafraid to let him air it out, as he led the NFL with 612 pass attempts, which led to a league-worst 21 interceptions. He was traded to Seattle in April 2024, but he saw limited action as the backup to Geno Smith. Including today’s deal, the UNC product has been traded three times in the span of 18 months.

Still, the Eagles needed some cover for their own QB room, as Jalen Hurts‘ presumptive backup, Tanner McKee, is dealing with a finger injury that has jeopardized his Week 1 availability. Albert Breer of SI.com notes Philadelphia remains high on McKee, and it does not sound as if his ailment is a long-term one. Nonetheless, Howell will offer an upgrade over sixth-round rookie Kyle McCord, both as the QB2 in the event McKee is not ready to go at the start of the season and as the QB3 over the course of the campaign (or, the Eagles could theoretically try to trade McKee; per Breer, there has been outside interest in the 25-year-old signal-caller, which echoes his recent report on the matter).

Assuming a McKee trade does not come to fruition, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes McCord will be waived, though the Eagles could try to stash him on the practice squad if he clears waivers. Offseason trade acquisition Dorian Thompson-Robinson is also on the Eagles’ roster for the time being, but today’s news obviously does not bode well for his future in Philly.

McLane adds that the team has waived/injured DB Lewis Cine, who, according Zach Berman of The Athletic, was on crutches following Friday’s preseason game, when he recorded a diving interception.

Vikings Sign 19 UDFAs

April 27th, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Ely Allen

The Vikings owned the NFL’s smallest draft class with only five selections this year, so naturally, they added a good amount of undrafted free agents to form a 24-man rookie class. Here are the 19 UDFAs the team signed:

An undersized runner, Stewart had an incredible year for the Gamecocks. In fact, with 1,678 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns in 2024, Stewart joined top ten pick Ashton Jeanty as the only two FBS backs with over 1,600 yards and 25 scores on the ground.

After two strong years at Oregon State, Bolden wasn’t very productive as a receiver for the Longhorns. He was extremely productive, though, as a punt returner, notching 315 yards on 30 returns and scoring a touchdown. His return abilities netted him $205K in guaranteed money on his UDFA contract, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Brown is a surprising get post-draft, considering he was projected to be an early-Day 3 selection. Likely a significant injury history kept him available to this point. Huber was another likely Day 3 selection. He started 13 games at right tackle at Cincinnati before transferring and shifting inside. He started as left guard in 2023 and right guard in 2024 for the Badgers. Despite only playing offensive line since 2019, Huber’s versatility was able to net him $210K guaranteed on his UDFA deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.

Chambliss was impressive in his final season at Georgia with 6.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss, but his route to a 53-man roster will likely have to come through special teams contributions. Impressive length and production should give Vaughn a chance at the opening day roster. In five years at Utah (one redshirt season), Vaughn tallied 27 passes defensed, three interceptions, three sacks, and 14.0 tackles for loss.

Vikings To Sign QB Max Brosmer As UDFA

April 26th, 2025 at 6:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the 2025 draft in the books, UDFA signings have already begun. At least one notable quarterback deal is included among the first ones to be agreed to.

Max Brosmer – who finished his college career at Minnesota – will be staying in the state this offseason. The Vikings are set to sign him as an undrafted free agent, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports. He adds this pact includes $250K guaranteed.

Brosmer spent four years at New Hampshire, serving as the school’s full-time starter during that span. He earned first-team All-American honors in 2023 before a one-and-done campaign with the Golden Gophers. Brosmer set a new career-high in completion percentage last year (66.5%), but he only threw 18 touchdowns (coupled with six interceptions). Given the 24-year-old’s age, coupled with that level of production, the chance loomed that Brosmer would not hear his name called during the draft.

In spite of that turning out to be the case, he has not needed to wait long to land an NFL opportunity. With his deal in hand, Brosmer will turn his attention to competing for a third-string gig in Minnesota. The Vikings are in position to hand starting duties over to J.J. McCarthy after the 2024 first-rounder missed his entire rookie campaign due to injury.

Veterans Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones each departed on the open market knowing McCarthy was in place to assume the QB1 role. Questions remained entering the draft, therefore, about the Vikings’ depth under center. That was addressed to an extent earlier today with the trade acquisition of Sam Howell. The former Commander and Seahawk will be counted on to operate as a backup, while Brosmer will aim to win the third-string role. Doing so could ensure a roster spot during cutdowns; otherwise, a practice squad arrangement could be in store.