Max Brosmer’s Struggles in Historic Loss
Max Brosmer, an undrafted rookie free agent, found himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons during the Minnesota Vikings’ disheartening 26-0 defeat against the Seattle Seahawks. The young quarterback’s performance, as assessed by Pro Football Focus, has now been etched into the record books as one of the lowest in modern NFL history. With an offensive grade of just 22.0 and a passing grade of 22.8, Brosmer’s outing nearly set the benchmark for the most abysmal single-game quarterback ratings since the inception of PFF’s grading system in 2007.
A Record-Breaking Nightmarish Performance
Brosmer’s numbers reveal a stark reality. When examining quarterbacks who attempted at least 20 passes in a game—whether during the regular season or postseason—his grade becomes even more alarming. It stands as the worst single-game quarterback score ever recorded by PFF. The challenge in determining the absolute worst performances emerges from the inconsistency in historical data. For instance, Ryan Fitzpatrick once held the dubious honor with a grade of 21.4 during a game in the 2016 season. However, upon reviewing PFF’s current data, Fitzpatrick’s score has been adjusted to 24.3 offensively and 25.7 for passing.
Numerically, Fitzpatrick’s day—where he completed 20 of 44 passes for 144 yards, zero touchdowns, and six interceptions—appears more disastrous when compared to Brosmer’s 19-of-30 passing for 126 yards, four interceptions, and no touchdowns. Statistically, while both performances were far from stellar, Fitzpatrick’s outing is still viewed as worse.
Comparative Historical Context
Examining Brosmer’s performance reveals that he is not alone in this unfortunate category. Among the worst quarterback grades recorded in the PFF database, only one other performance stands out—Mac Jones’ dismal outing in Week 12 of the 2023 season. In a narrow 10-7 defeat against the Giants, Jones earned a 20.9 offensive grade and a 22.6 passing grade, completing 12 of 21 passes for just 89 yards and two interceptions before being replaced.
Inevitably Lower Grades
The historical context of Brosmer’s grades becomes even more alarming when juxtaposed with some of the NFL’s most infamous quarterback performances. Not even Nathan Peterman’s legendary struggles in Week 11 of the 2017 season, where he posted a 24.1 offensive grade and a 26.6 passing grade after throwing five interceptions in just the first half, graded lower than Brosmer’s outing. Similarly, Kendall Hinton, who was thrust into an emergency quarterback role for the Denver Broncos in 2020, finished with a passing grade of 24.3 despite only completing one of nine passes for 13 yards and two interceptions.
Conclusion
No matter how one analyzes the data, Brosmer’s performance against Seattle stands as a significant low point. Whether viewed through the lens of statistics or historical context, it is difficult to deny that he etched his name into the record books with one of the worst quarterback performances in modern NFL history.
