"Gotta name him Caleb": NFL fans react to JJ McCarthy skipping practice to welcome baby boy with fiancée Katya

Minnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy was absent from Thursday’s practice. Coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters that McCarthy was at a local hospital with his fiancee, Katya Kuropas, as the couple prepares for the birth of their son.

Fans reacted to the news on X.

“Gotta name him Caleb,” a fan joked, referring to McCarthy’s Week 1 opponent QB.

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“I just read was not at practice and panicked. But nvm congrats JJ,” one fan wrote.

“Hard to believe winning NFC offensive player of the week in his debut is going to be the second most exciting part of his week! Wishing them well,” another fan commented.

More comments followed.

“Hey congrats to the both of them!” a fan said.

“Is anyone having a better week?!? Awesome,” a fan wrote.

“This guy on a generational run,” another fan said.

McCarthy and Kuropas have been together since high school in Illinois. The couple got engaged in January 2024, shortly after McCarthy took Michigan to a national championship. They announced their pregnancy in May.

JJ McCarthy expected to be available for Week 2 game

While JJ McCarthy missed Thursday’s practice, the timing is not expected to affect his availability for the Vikings’ Week 2 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, which will be his first regular season game at home in the U.S. Bank Stadium. Depending on how the birth goes, he could return to practice as soon as Friday.

Sunday’s game will be the first time Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will face off against McCarthy in the NFL. Their last meet was in the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship, where McCarthy’s Wolverines won 34-13 over Penix’s Washington Huskies.

Talking about McCarthy’s NFL debut in Week 1, Penix said of his college rival on Wednesday:

“He showed heart.”

The 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, JJ McCarthy made his long-awaited NFL debut on Monday night against the Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams, after missing the entire rookie season due to a knee injury.

Even after a rough start that included a third-quarter pick-six, he came out with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to lead a 27-24 comeback win over the team he grew up rooting for. His performance earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

About the author

Garima's inclination for sports began with Pitthu/Seven Stones, then cricket, when she was named the team captain in high school, and slowly built up to badminton, tennis, swimming, baseball, and, most recently, F1. There is no end to her love for Serena Williams, who she admires for her incredible impact not only on the game but on women around the world.

Apart from sports, she loves good storytelling in any form, be it a good fiction book, film, or even a vlog. Photography, going on drives, eating good food, and exercising are the things that keep her sound.

Currently studying the Japanese language, she aims to become fluent by the end of 2026.

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Edited by Garima