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J.J. McCarthy had good reason for missing Vikings practice

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 6:13 PM ET

J.J. McCarthy led the Minnesota Vikings to a comeback win on Monday night, but that may not be the most exciting thing that has happened for the quarterback this week.

McCarthy missed practice on Thursday and had a great excuse for doing so. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters that McCarthy was at a local hospital with his fiancee, Katya Kuropas, who was giving birth to the couple’s first child.

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 announced in May that they were expecting a baby boy.

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A post shared by Katya (@katyakuropas)

McCarthy and Kuropas began dating in 2018 when they were in high school. They got engaged shortly after McCarthy led Michigan to a national title in January 2024.

After getting off to a horrible start in Monday night’s game against the Chicago Bears, McCarthy helped orchestrate a historic comeback. The Vikings won 27-24, with McCarthy going 6/8 for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns in the fourth quarter period. He also rushed for what proved to be the game-winning score.

It is hard to imagine many people are having a better week than McCarthy.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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