Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah gave his roster a makeover this offseason, adding a slew of depth and veteran talent at key positions like interior offensive line, defensive tackle, wide receiver and running back.
The Vikings basically punted on the most important position in sports, however, and that could lead to a rather ugly training camp battle between a bunch of struggling or unproven quarterbacks.
Minnesota’s set at QB1, with J.J. McCarthy now in his second year as a pro, poised to enter training camp as the clear-cut starter. It’s the rest of the Vikings’ QB depth chart that should keep coach Kevin O’Connell busy this summer.
As it stands, Sam Howell, a former fifth-round pick who’s now joining his third team before the expiration of his original rookie contract, will enter camp as Minnesota’s QB2 by default. He doesn’t have the chops to push McCarthy in camp, but Minnesota also has two players behind him — fellow journeyman Brett Rypien and undrafted rookie Max Brosmer — who are merely vying for QB3 and practice squad roles.
Vikings analyst Judd Zulgad of the Purple Daily Podcast recently discussed his first 53-man roster projection ahead of training camp, and he dropped two telling notes about Minnesota’s looming quarterback room:
- Howell will essentially be competing against himself for the backup job, with the Vikings replacing him still on the table.
- Rypien currently has the edge over Brosmer for the Vikings’ QB3 spot, leaving the former Minnesota Gophers standout on the outside looking in.
“Now, I do think that Brosmer winds up spending the season on the Vikings’ practice squad,” Zulgad said. “I guess the wild-card here is, what does Howell show in training camp? Does Howell firmly take hold of the No. 2 position and prove he belongs there? Do the Vikings say, ‘You know what? There might be better options?’ But as of now… as we head into the offseason, the last gasp of it at least — McCarthy, Howell, Rypien.”
The main storyline here is Rypien, who has strong athletic bloodlines but is currently on a trajectory to be a career NFL backup (or future coach, in Zulgad's opinion). He’s an undrafted player who spent time with the Broncos and Rams before serving as Minnesota’s emergency QB in 2024. The team signed him back on a reserve/futures contract at the start of the 2025 league year.
Brosmer is four years younger and should be the better athlete between the two. He’s coming off a solid season with the Gophers that saw him complete 66% of his passes for 2,800 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. Rypien has four touchdown passes and nine interceptions in 10 games as a pro.
The Vikings’ best shot at keeping all four quarterbacks would be to stash Rypien — who’s highly unlikely to be poached by another team — on the practice squad and carry Brosmer on the initial 53-man roster. But Brosmer will have to pass Rypien on the depth chart first, and based on Zulgad’s current take on the situation, the rookie has some ground to cover.
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