Former UNH quarterback Max Brosmer might get his first NFL start for the Minnesota Vikings against the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday after starter J.J. McCarthy and veteran backup Carson Wentz both suffered injuries.
The undrafted rookie was picked up by the Vikings in April and has since operated as the third stringer. Brosmer bided his time beneath the lofty expectations set for McCarthy, who missed the entirety of his rookie season with a knee injury after being drafted 10th overall.
On Oct. 23, Wentz went down with a season-ending shoulder injury after filling in for McCarthy during five games. After a 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers this past Sunday, McCarthy was placed in concussion protocol after returning to Minnesota, putting Brosmer in position to start if McCarthy is unable to go.
There is a chance McCarthy, who is currently listed as questionable, could clear concussion protocol before Sunday and return under center. Head Coach Kevin O’Connell declined to answer specific questions about the severity of the injury, but did say Brosmer would step in with the first-string offense during practice this week.
Brosmer played high school football for Centennial High School in Roswell, Ga., and was a two-star recruit coming into collegiate football. He started as a true freshman and had an illustrious career as a Wildcat, ultimately transferring to the University of Minnesota for his final eligible season, where he earned himself enough looks to get picked up by the Vikings.
Across Brosmer’s four years at UNH, he played in 36 games, threw for 8,713 yards, 25 interceptions and scored 70 total touchdowns.
His senior season was by far his best as he threw for 3,464 yards and scored 29 touchdowns with only five interceptions in just 11 games. That season, he led the FCS in passing yards per game and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which placed him as a top-tier transfer target.
After transferring and becoming a Gopher, Brosmer threw for 2,617 yards and 17 touchdowns, set the program record for completions (268) and finished with the second-best completion rate (66.5%) in the much tougher Division I FBS Big Ten Conference. The Gophers finished 7-5 during his time under center.
Brosmer filled in for a few snaps in late September, going 2-for-4 for 29 yards in his first NFL appearance. He became the first former Gopher starting quarterback to play quarterback in the NFL since 2002. In total, Brosmer has completed five passes on eight attempts for 42 yards in his professional career.
The only other quarterback to make it to the NFL was Ricky Santos, who went undrafted in 2008 and was picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs but was released before the season began. Santos has been UNH’s head coach since 2021 and coached Brosmer for two seasons.
If he gets the start, he will have a chance to prove he’s the man for the job after McCarthy’s injury struggles and poor play on the field.
McCarthy has been intercepted 10 times, has thrown 929 yards and six touchdowns in six NFL starts. His completion rate of 54.1% is the worst in the league among all passers with 50 or more attempts in 2025.
In last Sunday’s game against the Vikings’ divisional rival, Green Bay, McCarthy completed 12 passes for 87 yards with two picks and five sacks as the Vikings lost their third consecutive game and fell to last in the NFC North.
Brosmer’s start could be a historic day for UNH’s football program and a testament to the work that Coach Ricky Santos has put in to grow and develop players. If Brosmer starts, he would become the first UNH quarterback to start an NFL game, and he would join Las Vegas Raiders running back Dylan Laube as the only Wildcats actively playing in the NFL.
The Minnesota Vikings (4-7) will travel to Washington state to face the Seattle Seahawks (8-3) this Sunday, Nov. 30, at 4:05 p.m. EST.