JJ McCarthy, Fiancee Welcome First Child

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy and his fiancée, Katya Kuropas, announced the birth of their first child on Friday (September 12), days after a breakout performance in his first career NFL start.

"Welcome to the world Rome Micah McCarthy ✨The sweetest, most perfect gift from God!! We are so unbelievably blessed to be your parents💙," Kuropas wrote in a joint post with McCarthy, listing the child's weight as 8.7 pounds and height at 21 inches.

"God is GREAT!" McCarthy wrote in one comment, as well as "[and] so are you my love" in another.

McCarthy was absent from the Vikings' practice on Thursday (September 11) as his wife was going into labor, head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters. The former College Football Playoff National Champion returned to the team Friday (September 12) in preparation for the Vikings' Sunday Night Football game against the Atlanta Falcons.

"It's been cool to see him go through that, the dialogue yesterday right after Rome was born," O'Connell said. "It's an awesome moment, as a father myself, to see his reaction to it, the best day of his life. I was really proud of him."

"I did give him some pointers on maybe what to say and more importantly, what not to say in those moments," the father of four added. "Quarterback development, man."

McCarthy's son's birth came days after he made his first career NFL start and led the Vikings to a comeback win against the NFC North Division rival Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football in Week 1. The former Michigan standout threw for 143 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on 13 of 20 passing, while also recording 25 yards and one touchdown on two rushing attempts, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.