The Minnesota Vikings‘ 23-6 Week 12 loss against the Green Bay Packers was as brutal as it could be. Right after the game, Minnesota’s locker room was described as “beaten down,” “frustrated,” and “answerless.” And amidst all the chaos, JJ McCarthy was reportedly seen sitting in his chair, staring directly at his locker without uttering a word.

And right at the center of it was one glaring issue: Quarterbacking. Carson Wentz has been ruled out for the rest of the season. McCarthy’s been there, but he isn’t expected to start on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Amidst such crucial times in the quarterback room, the Vikings were supposed to make a move, and they just did that.

On Thursday, the Vikings signed the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, Desmond Ridder, to the Practice Squad. The 26-year-old is rejoining the Vikings after spending some time before the season when McCarthy went down with an injury. However, the team waived him on October 4.

A former third-round pick of the Falcons in the 2022 NFL draft, Ridder has started 18 of the 22 games he’s appeared in, completing 63.6% of his passes (374 of 588) for 4,002 yards and 16 touchdowns. After his first two seasons with the Falcons, though, the quarterback has been dancing around the league. To put that in perspective, the Vikings just happened to be his fifth team in just four years.

Fast forward to now, and whether he can carve out a spot on the active roster is still up in the air. But one thing is clear: ever since Minnesota waived him back in October, things have only gotten messier for the Vikings, especially in the quarterback room.

JJ McCarthy isn’t expected to start against the Seahawks

Heading into the 2025 season, Kevin O’Connell was probably hoping JJ McCarthy would deliver the kind of jump Sam Darnold had the year before. But that never really materialized. Coming off his season-ending injury, McCarthy just hasn’t looked the same. He’s been sidelined for most of the season, and in the limited games he has played, the numbers haven’t helped his case. Just 929 yards, six touchdowns, and a 54.1% completion rate across six appearances.

To make things worse, the Week 13 matchup against the Seahawks is right around the corner, and it’s still unclear who’ll line up under the center. Sure, McCarthy started against the Packers, where he looked atrocious as he completed just 12-of-19 passes for just 87 yards, threw a couple of interceptions, and took five sacks.

In the process, though, the quarterback suffered a concussion and hasn’t cleared the concussion protocol yet. Which naturally raises a question: Will the Vikings look toward the undrafted rookie quarterback, Max Brosmer? O’Connell hasn’t answered it yet, as the head coach explained:

“As far as a zero hour, I don’t know if we’re looking at it like that. Ultimately this is not talking about a hand or an ankle, we’re talking about his head. We want to for sure make sure we defer to the medical team. We’re not in a place to declare anything yet.”

For now, the situation is pretty straightforward: McCarthy still hasn’t cleared concussion protocol. Until he does, Brosmer is taking all the first-team reps. And when it comes to who’s likely to start, the odds lean heavily toward Brosmer. Will it actually happen? We’ll find out in a few days.