Vikings keep QBs J.J. McCarthy, Max Brosmer on 53-man roster — for now

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings finalized their initial 53-man roster Sunday evening. It features four quarterbacks, including 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy and former undrafted free-agent signing Max Brosmer.

Veteran Carson Wentz is also a part of the group that will back up starter Kyler Murray. As of last week, Minnesota had not finalized who would occupy the backup spot.

Many around the NFL believed the Vikings would explore trade opportunities with McCarthy ahead of Sunday’s roster cutdown deadline. He did not play in Friday’s preseason finale against the Denver Broncos. He was not comfortable enough to play with an ankle injury, several team sources told The Athletic on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the situation. The inactive game day status followed a week of murkiness around McCarthy.

Brosmer, 25, completed 20 of his 35 passes Friday night. The team believed in his potential when it initially signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota. Injuries thrust him into action earlier than the Vikings hoped, while a thumb injury prevented him from playing more in the preseason.

It would be unusual for the Vikings to proceed with four quarterbacks during the 2026 season, and it’s an open question whether they will. McCarthy, 23, is entering his third season with roster control through 2027. His lackluster 2025 performance inspired the team’s decision to sign Murray this spring.