The first NFL roster cutdown deadline to reduce from 90 to 53 players occurs on August 27, 2024, at 4 p.m. ET. 

While some teams might make earlier trims, the official deadline is for the final reduction to a 53-player roster, which can be maintained throughout the regular season.

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Former Gophers QB Max Brosmer has stood out for the Vikings. Can he claim a roster spot?
Max Brosmer has played the most preseason snaps of any Vikings quarterback so far, and the door remains open for a roster spot.

Strib

With 1:46 on the clock and the Vikings trailing the Patriots by eight points Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium, rookie quarterback Max Brosmer, whose mindset-bearing wristband reads “Be where your feet are” and “One play at a time,” led the Vikings onto the field with 69 yards between them and the end zone.

“If a two-minute drive doesn’t let you play one play at a time, I’m not sure what does,” Brosmer said after the game. “You gotta just dink and dunk it all the way down the field.”

He did just that, mixing in longer throws, including a 25-yard completion to Jeshaun Jones that converted a fourth-and-17, en route to the Patriots’ 8-yard line.

Brosmer brought the Vikings to the brink of tying the game, but he couldn’t quite close it out in a 20-12 preseason loss to New England. A false start, incompletion and then an interception in the end zone ended the game.

But Brosmer, the 24-year-old former Gopher, has turned heads throughout training camp and now in both preseason games. He passed for 47 yards and a touchdown on 5-of-8 passing on just 19 snaps played in the fourth quarter against the Texans on Aug. 9.

He built on that Saturday, finishing two quarters of play 15-of-27 for 156 yards and that one interception. He was sacked four times for a total 33 yards lost, and faced obstacles in the form of a handful of procedural penalties against the Vikings.

Brosmer also added highlight-worthy throws and decisions to his résumé.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said the fourth-down conversion is an example of why Brosmer has seen the number of reps he has this preseason, even as the current fourth-string QB.

Tim Jones, who led the Vikings with five receptions for 68 yards Saturday, has been a frequent target for Brosmer in practices. They flashed that chemistry on seven connections, including a 22-yarder that helped move the final drive along.

“Every time he’s thrown to me, it’s been ... near perfect,” Jones said with a smile.

A year later, O’Connell saw Brosmer again, this time throwing as a Pro Day participant himself, and the Vikings signed him to an undrafted free agent deal in April.

O’Connell has lauded Brosmer from the start as “as smart as any young player. ... His ownership of the information [is] kind of right on par.”

But Brosmer said Wednesday that when he first started working with O’Connell, it was like the coach was speaking “a foreign language.”

“Number one, it’s a new league. You’re playing in the NFL as opposed to college, and it’s completely new structures of defense,” Brosmer said. “But it’s also just how he talks about ball, how he thinks about it.”

That’s where the three other quarterbacks in the room, particularly Brett Rypien (also undrafted out of college in 2019), have come in handy. Brosmer said he peppers Rypien with questions, so much so the older QB probably wants to lock him up and throw away the key.

According to O’Connell, Brosmer and McCarthy are often the first and last people in the building, joking that quarterback coaches Josh McCown and Jordan Traylor must not be getting a lot of sleep thanks to the pair.

“Max is the man. Just super detail-oriented, works his butt off,” McCarthy said July 30. “I can’t say enough good things about that guy.”

Brosmer’s performance Saturday wasn’t perfect by any stretch. He still showed the growing pains of first-year pro. His second drive in particular was a struggle, and on some of the best chances the Vikings had to find the end zone — midway through the fourth quarter after Myles Price’s 81-yard kick return — Brosmer threw incomplete twice.

But the Vikings will have a decision to make about Brosmer in the next two weeks: Leave the rookie with local ties and potential off the 53-man roster and risk another team claiming him off waivers before he can be signed to the practice squad, or keep three quarterbacks on the active roster. It’s still not likely Brosmer would jump to No. 2.

There is a door open, though. Howell, the current No. 2, closed three drives Saturday 1-of-5 for 13 yards with an interception. The Vikings never played Rypien in the regular season last year, using him only as emergency third QB.

Brosmer said Saturday he doesn’t think about having something to prove to coaches or anyone. If bringing his best every single day doesn’t do the job, it’s not meant to be.

“There’s so much you can’t control,” Brosmer said. “If you just focus on yourself and control what you can control, you can rest on the outcome. You can be OK with the outcome.”

Brosmer’s demeanor postgame reflected that. He spoke with the same poise he did after sealing a win last week against the Texans.

“Whether that’s me playing in the NFL or not, I’ll be OK because of the work that I’ve put in,” he added. “If it’s good enough, it’s good enough.”

About that existential threat to all humanity (Not a Trump post)

https://www.realclearscience.com/article...29196.html

https://www.si.com/college-football/25-m...s-for-2025

JMO, but I enjoy watching the young dudes play QB in CFB, seeing who's the next thing, who ends up being overrated, etc. A good list here of guys to watch. Man, Drew Allar needs to step up in big games and big situations. Texas rated #1 and Arch's first year being The Man. Can a talent like Bryce Underwood start Year 1 at Michigan and if so, can he play well? Keep an eye on DJ Lagway at Florida and Dylan Raiola at Nebraska. How will Gronowski do at Iowa? I know we got our guy in JJ, but I like seeing it all unfold each new season of college ball regardless.

This sexy bitch is back. So far, so good.

Sonny Jurgenson? Brian Sipe? Vikings have had 4 in the last 7 years. 

He can catch the football, too. He's a 3 down RB in their opinion. Size/speed combo is unique to the roster. Big plans for Mason in this offense per Alec Lewis at The Athletic.

It seems likely the Vikings will sit most of their first-team offense after the joint practices, meaning the game against the Patriots will provide more work to the Vikings’ backups. As the team tries to sort out its depth across the roster, the game will be the main event of the week for the Vikings’ backups.

Position battles, especially at backup quarterback, lead our list of things to watch between the Vikings and Patriots (Noon, Fox 9):

1. Howell starts; Brosmer gets more time at QB

Howell completed 11 of his 13 passes for 105 yards against the Texans last week, while running for a 1-yard touchdown. He could get at least as much work on Saturday against the Patriots, as one of the three quarterbacks who’ll play in the game. Brett Rypien, who completed only one of his four passes against the Texans after Tremon Smith knocked his deep throw out of Jeshaun Jones’ hands, will likely get more work on Saturday. But O’Connell said Max Brosmer, who hit Myles Price for a decisive scoring pass last week, “has earned” more playing time; the former Gophers QB is pushing for a spot on the roster, while Howell is trying to solidify the No. 2 QB job behind McCarthy.

2. Another stage for Murphy

Edge rusher Gabriel Murphy had a sack and five QB hits last Saturday, continuing to build on a training camp where O’Connell said he’s looked like “a man on a mission.” He’ll likely get more work against the Patriots, and could start for a second straight week with veteran defenders out. The Vikings are as deep at edge rusher as anywhere on the roster, but Murphy seems to have a good chance at joining Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner on the roster if he continues to do what he’s doing.

3. Running back battle continues

Zavier Scott led the Vikings with seven carries for 40 yards last week against the Texans, while Ty Chandler gained just 5 yards on five carries. Chandler is one of two players from the 2022 draft class left on the roster after the Vikings waived Brian Asamoah II last week, and Scott could be on the verge of taking his spot if he continues to produce in the preseason. The Vikings still want to see better pass protection from Chandler; if he gets chances to play in passing situations Saturday, showing he can take on rushers and decipher pressure schemes might be his best avenue to help his chances of making the team.

4. Vikings need WRs to stand out

Wide receiver depth is becoming an issue for the Vikings, with Jordan Addison set to miss the first three games because of a suspension, Rondale Moore out for the season with a knee injury and Jalen Nailor nursing a hand injury after jamming it in joint practices this week. It means the Vikings need other receivers on their depth chart to assert themselves, and Saturday could be an important opportunity for players on the roster bubble.

Lucky Jackson has seemed in contention for a spot, and he caught three passes for 30 yards last week. It will be interesting to see if the Vikings use him as a punt returner after he spent some time fielding punts in practice this week. Price, who caught last week’s touchdown pass, also has an opportunity; he’s done some work as a punt returner as well and has caught coaches’ eyes during camp.

Last week Tai Felton had the best play of the day on special teams, forcing Jawhar Jordan’s fumble of Oscar Chapman’s punt, and the third-round pick caught both of the passes he was thrown, for a total of 14 yards. He’s still a project as a receiver who needs to add strength to play the position in the NFL. Jones, Dontae Fleming and Silas Bolden will also get work.

5. O’Connell mic’d up

As they did during the preseason finale in Philadelphia last year, the Vikings’ broadcast will have O’Connell on during the entire third quarter against the Patriots. The coach’s real-time reactions to plays as they happened (and his occasional insights about a play before it happened) were a highlight last year, and the segment provides a rare up-close look at a coach’s thought process. It’ll be worth paying attention to it, or catching it on a replay later.

STRIB

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Courtney Cronin
@CourtneyRCronin
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1h
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