The Minnesota Vikings’ bet on Sam Howell hasn’t brought the return many had hoped for.
The fourth-year quarterback who was acquired in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks ceded second-team reps to backups Brett Rypien and Max Brosmer in camp and largely struggled in the preseason.
While Brosmer exceeded expectations as an undrafted rookie, the Vikings’ decision to pass on many veteran quarterbacks in peak spring free agency still leaves the first backup spot behind J.J. McCarthy in a precarious place.
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis made his 53-man roster prediction ahead of cutdown day next week. He made the surprising call to keep Brosmer alongside McCarthy as the team’s two quarterbacks on the active roster and cut Howell and Rypien.
This reality, which could be the accurate order of the Vikings’ quarterback depth chart, leaves the team without a single regular-season start on the initial roster.
“Neither McCarthy nor Brosmer has played a meaningful NFL game. Would head coach Kevin O’Connell really be willing to enter the 2025 season without a more proven option,” Lewis wrote on August 23. “Rypien had an up-and-down performance Friday night. He and Howell were both inconsistent throughout training camp and the preseason. Minnesota could choose to keep either player.”
Facing the potential that Howell may not have won the QB2 job, Lewis proposed the Vikings could pursue the free agency market as other teams trim down their rosters.
However, it would take time for an incoming veteran to learn the playbook without the same reps the summer months offered their current quarterback room.
“A more likely approach might be to peruse the waiver wire for another QB who is cut next week. Adding someone this late would be a challenge, though, considering the complexity of O’Connell’s offense,” Lewis added.
Fitting of his first summer in the NFL, Brosmer continued to show growth through the final days of August. He put forth his best performance for last against the Tennessee Titans on Friday, August 22, completing 15 of 23 pass attempts for 161 yards and a touchdown.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed the rookie’s performance who has seemingly won himself a roster spot in Minnesota after going undrafted just four months ago.
“Max once again showed some of the things he’s shown us throughout camp,” O’Connell said after the game. “Good decision maker, made some plays, buying a little time with his legs, converting some third downs via some tight completions.”
“I had high expectations for him,” O’Connell added. “One of those things where we went into the draft with him being a guy that we really, really liked throughout the process.
“He was local, we had a chance to see him throw twice at the Pro Day there, at the U, and then just hosted him on a visit. And just getting to know him felt like a great fit,” O’Connell continued. “He’s one of those guys that can go out and apply the thinking really fast as he progresses through our system and through games, so his ownership of really not getting a lot of reps early – didn’t get a lot of work in the spring – to be able to hit the ground in the way he did with his opportunities, and training camp gave him more opportunities, culminating with tonight, getting the chance to start the last preseason game.”
While Brosmer got the start, Howell sat out the game. What that means for his future remains to be seen.
“Kevin O’Connell says Sam Howell was in uniform only if needed in an emergency. Says he feels ‘good about where Sam’s at’ and added that ‘he has had some real growth’ and that ‘he’s done some really good things.’ We’ll see if that’s enough to be QB2,” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert said after the game.
Just two weeks away from the season opener, the anxiety is at an all-time high for many observers who will finally see the Vikings put their chips down on McCarthy.
There will continue to be cautionary tales about the situation of the quarterback room, McCarthy’s readiness, etc… but this was all by design.
Running back Jordan Mason may be quietly the biggest improvement to an offense that could run the ball much more effectively to help McCarthy not have to play hero early in his career.
