Former Gopher Max Brosmer makes strong impression at Vikings rookie camp
The Minnesota QB went undrafted but threw the ball like a pro at minicamp
By Matthew Coller
EAGAN — The Minnesota Golden Gophers have not seen quarterback play at the level of Max Brosmer’s 2024 season in quite some time. He led an 8-5 team by passing for 2,828 yards, 18 touchdowns and just six interceptions and PFF graded him as the 20th best quarterback in the nation. He also had the sixth lowest turnover-worthy play rate in college football.
The team across town clearly took notice. The Minnesota Vikings signed Brosmer as an undrafted free agent and brought him to rookie minicamp, which was open to the media on Friday. During the 90-minute session, the 24-year-old QB flashed arm strength to make all the throws on the field and operated several 7-on-7 sessions successfully. It isn’t often that a UDFA at rookie minicamp looks like a pro quarterback but Brosmer did just that throughout the practice.
Asked what made the Vikings interested in Brosmer as a UDFA signing, head coach Kevin O’Connell said:
“I think a lot of it was on display today. I mean, the starting point of just pretty efficient thrower of the football from a standpoint of fundamentals, technique, his ability to generate some pretty good revolutions and RPMs on the ball with pretty limited movement in the pocket. I have a lot of respect for P.J. [Fleck] and his staff and how they've coached football over there, from a standpoint of his high football IQ – I think, shows up when he can really arrive here, spend a couple hours in meetings, and he's out there making corrections in the middle of a seven on seven walk through leading into a period or whatever it is.”
Brosmer got up-close-and-personal coaching from O’Connell and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown throughout the day. After many plays, they would watch the video board replaying the rep and then talk about how things were supposed to play out, whether it was a deep completion to former Auburn receiver Robert Lewis or an interception by sixth-round linebacker Kobe King.
“I really enjoyed the talks after every play today,” Brosmer said. “Every time we had a positive play or a negative play, it was always like, ‘hey, let’s talk about it for a second.’ I didn’t realize there are screens out here that replay the play right away because I’m always like, ‘let’s go back to the film room and watch it.’ I get to watch it in real time. That’s a lot of fun especially having someone like KO and coach McCown and [assistant QBs coach Jordan Traylor] talking about the play right after it happens with a new install that we’re doing together. That’s super helpful.”
Brosmer has been on O’Connell’s radar since this time last year. At the 2024 version of Gopher pro day, he had just arrived with the team and they asked if he would be willing to throw to wide receivers at tight ends at the pro day. O’Connell took notice of his arm talent then and watched the Gophers throughout the season before getting another opportunity to study Brosmer again at this year’s pro day.
“He got a chance to throw last year and caught my eye then,” O’Connell said. “Anytime that the Gophers were on TV and I could see it, just watching a lot of the things. And then we spent some time with their coaching staff…sharing ideas and how we do things and some of the ways we teach things, and so there's some good carryover for things that he's done during his time with the Gophers. But anytime that I get to a pro day of the same guy two years in a row… I felt pretty good about Max as a thrower when we were able to get him here.”
With the way the depth chart is structured right now, Brosmer will have a chance to work his way into a spot, whether it’s active as QB3 or on the practice squad at QB4. O’Connell has talked about wanting to have a bigger quarterback room with players developing and it appears the ex-Gopher will have every opportunity to show he can be that developmental QB during OTAs, minicamp and training camp.
It appears to be a very favorable situation for Brosmer. Just a few days ago, he had no idea where he was going to be. Some projected him as having a chnace to be a late-round pick so he waited through Day 3 like many other players hoping to get the call. His former teammate Dylan Laube, who was drafted by the Raiders in 2024, told him that draft day was going to be the longest day of his life and that certainly proved true.
“I’m like, ‘I’ve gotta buckle in because I’m projected toward the back of the draft,’” Brosmer said. “Going undrafted and coming here, things are supposed to happen for a reason. Coming out of high school I went to New Hampshire a reason and I learned what the reason was through my years there, went to Minnesota and it happened for a reason and now I come back to Minnesota to start my professional career. I’m always looking for the reason that I’m here and the people here are absolutely incredible and I can’t wait to find out what my journey looks like along my path here.”
One thing working in his favor in Minnesota is that Brosmer arrives with a lot of playing experience. Before he transferred to the Gophers, Brosmer had strong back-to-back FCS seasons with 56 touchdowns to 15 interceptions over the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Taking his talents to the Big Ten helped him show that he could play at a high level on bigger stages.
“Going to play in the Big Ten was a huge help for me, just feeling the energy of a 60,000-person crowd or a 112,000-person crowd and feeling what big-time football feels like and now that I’m at the professional level it’s only going to get to a larger scale from there,” Brosmer said. “There is going to be an adjustment period for everybody here but I think that jump gets a little bit smaller when you play at a higher level.”
While the Gopher QB appears to be making a good first impression, he doesn’t want to get too far ahead of himself. There are more big jumps to go, especially when the rest of the roster arrives, including two backup QBs who are a lot more experienced in the NFL.
“If you do too much and be out of your mind and try to control too much, you get ahead of yourself,” he said. “Letting things happen and they happen for a reason. Whether that’s getting drafted in the third round or getting drafted in the seventh round or going undrafted, there’s a reason that I’m here.”
“I think he had a great first day,” O’Connell said. “Pretty efficient, solid first day, looked like football. That's always the starting point goal.”
“Looked like football” is a pretty funny line. Not a big college football guy and don’t live in MN, so didn’t really get to see Brosmer play, but he seems like a good dude. Would be just a little surprised if he beat out Rypien for QB3.