Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is not at the team’s practice on Thursday, and he has a pretty good reason. Head coach Kevin O’Connell told the media that he is at a local hospital with his fiancée, Katya Kuropas, who went into labor and is expected to give birth to the couple’s son shortly.
J.J. McCarthy is not at practice today. He’s at a local hospital with his fiancée as they await positive news in welcoming their new baby boy. Kevin O’Connell was pumped to share the news.
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) September 11, 2025
McCarthy and Kuropas have been together since attending the same high school in Illinois. They got engaged in January 2024, shortly after McCarthy won a national title at Michigan, and they announced Kuropas’ pregnancy this May.
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This story will be updated when we learn more, but it sounds like congratulations are in order for the Vikings’ 22-year-old quarterback, his fiancée, and their families.
Football comes second to something like this, but the timing should allow McCarthy to have no issues being available for his second career game on Sunday night against the Atlanta Falcons — and his first regular season game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Depending on timing, he may be able to return to practice on Friday for final preparations.
McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft, made his first NFL start on Monday night in Chicago after his missing his entire rookie season due to a knee injury. He started slow and threw a pick-six in the third quarter, but he scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to lead the Vikings to a comeback win against the team he grew up cheering for. McCarthy was named the NFC offensive player of the week after his debut.