The Minnesota Vikings are promoting quarterback Max Brosmer from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday.
“The Vikings are signing QB Max Brosmer from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, per source,” Pelissero posted on X.
“With the J.J. McCarthy trade complete, the move allows Brosmer to be inactive but dress as the emergency No. 3 QB behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz.”
The roster addition follows Minnesota’s trade of McCarthy to the New York Giants on Monday for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick. McCarthy, selected 10th overall in 2024 out of Michigan, had slipped to third on the Vikings’ depth chart this season.
McCarthy started 10 games in 2025 and finished 140 of 243 for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He compiled a 6-4 record as a starter but never secured a firm hold on the job after missing his entire rookie year with a knee injury.
Promoting Brosmer fills the 53-man spot McCarthy vacated and lets Minnesota use the NFL’s emergency third-quarterback designation. Under the 2023 rule, a team may list a bona fide quarterback from its 53-man roster who does not count against the 48-player game-day active limit. That player may enter only if both active quarterbacks are out because of injury or disqualification.
Murray is the starter after signing a one-year, $1.3 million contract in March following his release by the Arizona Cardinals. Wentz, 33, is the primary backup. The veteran completed 23 of 39 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions while filling in during Murray’s concussion absence in Weeks 1 and 2.
The Vikings are 3-0 and lead the NFC North. They host the winless Miami Dolphins on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Brosmer, 25, joined Minnesota as an undrafted free agent in 2025 after one season at the University of Minnesota. He previously starred at New Hampshire, earning first-team FCS All-America honors in 2023 after throwing for 3,464 yards and 29 touchdowns.
As a rookie he appeared in seven games and started two, completing 47 of 71 passes for 328 yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions. He became the first University of Minnesota quarterback to play the position in the NFL since 2002 and the first New Hampshire quarterback to take an NFL snap.
Brosmer made the Vikings’ initial 53-man roster at the end of training camp when the team briefly kept four quarterbacks. Minnesota waived him the next day to claim offensive linemen off waivers. He cleared waivers and signed back to the practice squad.
The club has repeatedly shown it values Brosmer’s familiarity with the offense and his processing even after modest statistical results. Keeping him on the 53-man roster now gives the undefeated Vikings an extra layer of insurance at the most important position.
Murray returned in Week 3 and went 15 of 29 for 168 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 23-16 victory at Tampa Bay. The offense remains a work in progress, but the defense and special teams have carried Minnesota through the first three weeks.
The McCarthy trade also created salary-cap and cash flexibility for a franchise that spent the offseason reshaping its quarterback room around Murray and Wentz. For the Giants, the deal supplies a young former first-round pick after starter Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2.
Brosmer is expected to dress but remain inactive unless both Murray and Wentz are unavailable. The promotion keeps a homegrown quarterback in the building while the 3-0 Vikings prepare for Miami and a long stretch of games that will test their depth.
