J.J. McCarthy’s Fiancée Explodes in Joy After Dramatic First NFL Win Against Bears
J.J. McCarthy's fiancée went wild following his dramatic first win for the Vikings on Monday night.
McCarthy and Minnesota rallied from 17-6 down in the fourth quarter to defeat the Bears 27-24, as the 22-year-old quarterback led three touchdown drives down the stretch.
And following the impressive comeback, McCarthy's fiancée Katya Kuropas took to Instagram to praise her longtime partner.
Re-sharing a Vikings graphic that commemorated McCarthy's first NFL win, Kuropas wrote on her Instagram story: 'What a night!!' So proud of you. Keep showin em.'
The couple, who met at high school in Illinois, have been together for more than five years and announced back in May that they were expecting a baby boy in September.
Kuropas cheered McCarthy on as he led Michigan to a national championship win in early 2024, though his NFL debut got off to a rockier start in Chicago.
The Vikings didn't score a touchdown until the fourth quarter and McCarthy saw his team go down by two possessions when he threw a pick-six to Chicago's Nahshon Wright the quarter before.
Ultimately, though, McCarthy bounced back from his mistake with touchdown passes to Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones, as well as a 14-yard rushing touchdown himself.
He finished the game with 143 yards passing, three total touchdowns and one interception.
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell also complimented his quarterback following the game.
'There's no way to deny, we don't win this game unless J.J. plays the way he did in the second half,' O'Connell said afterwards.
'Most importantly, he kept the belief of his football team behind him. Now, we know it's possible.'
McCarthy's road to his first NFL start was delayed by a torn meniscus suffered last year after the Vikings selected him No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
As a result, he missed the entirety of his rookie season and watched from the sideline as Sam Darnold had a career year under center in Minnesota.
Ultimately, though, McCarthy was backed by the Vikings to be their quarterback of the future and re-paid their faith on Monday
'It's been a long journey,' McCarthy said after the Bears game.
'I think it's been 609 days, I think I saw since my last competitive football game, which was the national championship. So, it's been a while of being just in the training room, watching a lot of film, learning the playbook and trying to master that. At the end of the day, it's such a blessing to be an NFL football player and play in this league.'
He'll look to win his second NFL game on Sunday night as the Vikings host the Falcons.
Vikings RB Ty Chandler to Miss 4 Games After Gutsy Game-Clinching Play
The Minnesota Vikings running back depth just took a serious hit.
After sustaining a knee injury in the season opener against the Chicago Bears, fourth-year running back Ty Chandler was placed on the injured reserve list on Thursday, September 11.
While Chandler did not take a carry in the opener, he is a vital depth piece with 663 yards rushing, three touchdowns and 38 games played in his career. He is credited with a heads-up play to look toward head coach Kevin O’Connell on the Bears’ final kickoff return. O’Connell gave Chandler the signal to take the ball out of the end zone, ultimately draining enough clock to pass the two-minute warning and help the Vikings ice the game.
He did so while playing through the injury.
“It is something that just speaks to Ty Chandler, not only finishing the game, but being one of the last people to touch the football there on that last kick return, when he brought it out to make sure we ate up that two-minute warning,” O’Connell said on Wednesday. “Ty is so tough. He’s one of those people that you’re not surprised when you kind of hear about it in detail the next day of like, this could be something that causes him to miss a little bit of time. That’s how tough he is, and he wasn’t coming off the field in any capacity. So, we’ll get him cleaned up and healthy, and everything will be good.”
Starting inside linebacker Blake Cashman was also placed on injured reserve after sustaining a hamstring injury in Week 1. Andrew Van Ginkel and Jeff Okudah remain in concussion protocol and are at risk of missing a Week 2 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Vikings Undrafted Rookie Gets Chance After Chandler Injury
The Vikings running back room has little experience on the roster after Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason.
The duo proved efficient in their timeshare at Soldier Field and figures to dominate the work in the backfield.
However, if either were to go down, Minnesota would hitch its hopes to 2024 undrafted rookie Zavier Scott, who spent last season on the practice squad.
Scott shined during the preseason enough to garner a roster spot and force the Vikings to carry four backs into the regular season.
Chandler joins C.J. Ham on the injured reserve list, which could lead to some tough decisions when both backs are ready to return to the 53-man roster.
In the meantime, Scott is likely next in line to handle kickoff returns in Chandler’s absence.
Ty Chandler’s Prove-It Year Derailed With Injury
Chandler’s injury is unfortunate for the fourth-year back who is in the final year of his rookie contract.
Considered a trade chip entering the season, Chandler’s injury will keep him from asserting his value for a role before the deadline.
There also won’t be much room for him to showcase his talents on offense with the Mason-Jones tandem taking up all the carries.
Hopefully, Chandler can return quickly and contribute on special teams to help the Vikings, but his role with the team beyond this season remains questionable.
