EAGAN, Minn. — Max Brosmer aims to be cool as a cucumber.

Or in this case, as chill as a Winter Whiteout game.

The rookie QB is slated to start Thursday for Minnesota's Christmas Day game against Detroit, having stepped in on Sunday at New York for an injured J.J. McCarthy. Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters Tuesday McCarthy suffered a minor hairline fracture in his hand and will not be available this week.

Enter Brosmer, who made his first career start in Week 13 at Seattle, facing a difficult defense in a hostile environment and throwing four interceptions.

But Brosmer isn't letting that outing influence his upcoming one. After all, he filled in admirably this past Sunday and completed 7 of 9 passes for 52 yards — including a 21-yard dart to Justin Jefferson on third-and-17 — en route to Minnesota's defeat of the Giants.

"My dream for a long time has been to play in the NFL, and for me mentally to define myself by one game wouldn't be fair to the younger me watching me play football in the NFL," Brosmer said. "I think it's really difficult to be in that situation, to come out and continue to work and prepare the same way, because you look back and go, 'Oh, do I have to change my preparation or tweak small things?' That's ultimately what you do, just tweak some really small things.

"The more you try to 'fix' issues and the bigger steps you try to take, that's usually when you start to fall back a little bit," he added. "I've had a great support system around me — the team, the staff, I've felt it the entire time through, and I'm just grateful to be here."

Brosmer has the belief of his teammates as well as O'Connell, who noted his most recent performance and improvements in the short time following his debut.

"Everything was very sequenced up and timed up with his feet, and he had some really nice plays from the standpoint of progressions, finding completions here or there, and then obviously that massive third-down throw to Justin," O'Connell said. "Great anticipation, great location, giving Justin a chance to go get it. It was a really cool thing, seeing a young player who had gotten a chance to play on the road previously and did some good things, learned a lot in that game, and then gets a chance to go back into that No. 2 role. And sometimes the best thing you can do is not get too much of a chance to think about it — put your helmet on and go out there, and he did a phenomenal job for us."

Those who share a locker room, practice field and now a huddle with Brosmer have commented on his demeanor on game day.

Right tackle Brian O'Neill initially called it "silliness" before further describing Brosmer's approach as carefree and untroubled.

"He's very calm. … It's like it's a Thursday practice in November," O'Neill said. "There's a lightness to him that I don't know if I've ever seen before. Which you respect, right? That's one of the great attributes of, like, a swing tackle or a swing lineman, being able to come in and just be, 'All right, let's go.' Not making the moment too big and not being too high or too low.

"That's one of the attributes we look for in offensive linemen," O'Neill added, "and it's a great quality to have in a backup quarterback."

Jefferson shared similar sentiments, noting that Brosmer "isn't cracking jokes" or anything but clearly enjoys the experience.

"He has fun going out there," Jefferson said. "I don't sense him being nervous or not ready for the moment. Him going out there, 'You all ready, guys?' He just has that smile on his face and he's ready to go."

Brosmer, who spent five years at New Hampshire before transferring to the University of Minnesota in 2024 for his final collegiate season, demonstrates a maturity impressive for a first-year pro. He pointed to the overall experience he has but also snaps at the NFL level that, though limited thus far, have helped him feel prepared.

"It's reps. It really is. It's knowing you have great people in your corner," Brosmer said. "I've had some really helpful people from that week (in Seattle), in my ear a little bit and continuing to push me and along and make sure I'm staying on the right track."

He emphasized the importance of focusing on the positives, not solely the negatives, from each game — regardless of outcome — and maintaining an upbeat and constructive mindset.

Brosmer plans to do just that this week as the Vikings seek their fourth straight win.

"It was a great team effort [against the Giants], and because of that we had success and won the game," he said. "I told myself, 'Just be slow.' That's what fixes my being ahead of things, just think about being slower, and the outcome is a little better.

"It's all about finding little ways to improve on your craft and improve with the guys you're playing with," Brosmer added. "That was a rep in Seattle, and a rep in New Jersey, and for the team, that was a great moment to kind of tough one out in the end of the game there. It's a good feeling to be in the huddle with the guys and see the fruits of your labor."

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