Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy returned to the field in Week 9 after recovering from a high ankle sprain that sidelined him for five games. McCarthy initially opened the 2025 season as Minnesota’s starting quarterback, performing incredibly in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears with three touchdown passes in a single quarter.
Amid his first start as a quarterback in the league, McCarthy and his fiancée, Katya Kuropas, welcomed their first child, a son named Rome Micah McCarthy, on Sept. 12. The birth occurred a few days after McCarthy’s game in Week 1. He briefly left the Minnesota Vikings’ facility to be with Kuropas and returned the following day.
J.J. McCarthy’s Fiancée Katya Kuropas Pens an Adorable Message for Son
Now, two months later, J.J. McCarthy and Katya Kuropas are celebrating their son’s two-month birth anniversary. Kuropas shared an Instagram story on Friday where she uploaded several pictures of Rome Micah McCarthy, alongside the caption.
“2 months with my baby 🥲 you’re everything I ever dreamed of & I literally couldn’t love you more 🤍”
Kuropas and McCarthy have been together since October 2018 after they met at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Illinois. The high school sweethearts maintained a long-distance relationship when McCarthy transferred to IMG Academy in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kuropas continued to support him throughout his college career at the University of Michigan, often attending games to cheer him on.
McCarthy, meanwhile, calls her his “muse” and “rock.” In an Instagram post on her birthday in January, he alluded to her as his star, writing “What is a … Viking without a star to guide him?”
They became engaged in January 2024, shortly after McCarthy took Michigan to a national championship. They celebrated their seven-year anniversary in October 2025, and as per Kuropas’ IG activity wedding bells are soon to be heard.
While McCarthy was recovering, backup quarterback Carson Wentz took over but ultimately required season-ending surgery for a left shoulder injury. The Vikings opted to bring McCarthy back only when he was fully healthy, allowing him to regain practice time gradually during the team’s bye week.
In his first game back against the Detroit Lions, McCarthy completed 56% of his passes for 143 yards, threw two touchdowns with one interception, and added a rushing touchdown to help the Vikings win 27-24.
McCarthy and the Vikings will next face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in Week 10 at home.