Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Young Vikings fan's bold request to J.J. McCarthy pays off

By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Aug 8, 2025 6:29 PM ET

A young Minnesota Vikings fan had a brazen exchange with Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy at training camp this week, and the confidence paid off.

The Vikings shared a video on Friday that showed McCarthy signing autographs for young fans. At one point, he was signing a jersey for a fan who boldly asked McCarthy, "Can I have your hat?"

McCarthy laughed and looked like he was caught a bit off guard. The quarterback then handed over his cap.

The young fan seemed very grateful:

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take pic.twitter.com/KXG1szQDJO
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 8, 2025

McCarthy would have been perfectly justified in turning the youngster down, but he must have admired the confidence.

The Vikings have committed to McCarthy as their starter after he missed his entire rookie season last year with a knee injury. McCarthy led Michigan to a national championship two years ago, and Minnesota's coaches are hoping to recreate some of that magic.

If McCarthy lives up to the hype, the hat that the young fan scored will only become more valuable.

Steve DelVecchio

Steve is a veteran writer who has covered a variety of sports and pop culture topics for more than 15 years. In addition to Yardbarker, his work has been featured on prominent digital publications including Larry Brown Sports, MSN and FOX Sports. The UConn graduate has published more than 40,000 stories and is one of the most experienced trending news writers in the country

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