Inside The Vikings

J.J. McCarthy missing Vikings practice Thursday to attend birth of his son

McCarthy's fiancée is in labor at a local hospital, Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell announced.
Will Ragatz|
Sep 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) practices before the game at Soldier Field.
Sep 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) practices before the game at Soldier Field. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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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.

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.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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