Katya Kuropas celebrates as J.J. McCarthy rallies Vikings to dramatic comeback win
Kuropas posted support after McCarthy led three fourth-quarter touchdown drives to lift Minnesota to a 27-24 victory over the Chicago Bears; the couple are expecting their first child.
Katya Kuropas, the fiancée of Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, publicly celebrated Monday night after McCarthy engineered a fourth-quarter comeback for his first NFL win.
McCarthy led three touchdown drives in the final quarter as the Vikings erased a 17-6 deficit to beat the Chicago Bears 27-24. Kuropas reshared a Vikings graphic on her Instagram story and wrote: "What a night!! So proud of you. Keep showin em."
McCarthy, 22, completed his first NFL start with 143 passing yards, three total touchdowns and one interception. The Vikings did not score a touchdown until the fourth quarter, and McCarthy threw a pick-six to Chicago cornerback Nahshon Wright in the third quarter. He responded with touchdown passes to Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones and added a 14-yard rushing touchdown.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell credited McCarthy's second-half play for the victory. "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. "Most importantly, he kept the belief of his football team behind him. Now, we know it's possible."
McCarthy's return to the field followed a prolonged recovery from a torn meniscus suffered last year after the Vikings selected him with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He missed his entire rookie season and watched from the sideline as Sam Darnold started for Minnesota. McCarthy said after the game that it had been "a long journey," estimating it had been 609 days since his last competitive game, which he said was the college national championship.
The quarterback and Kuropas are childhood sweethearts who met in high school in Illinois. They announced in May that they are expecting a baby boy in September. Kuropas cheered McCarthy during his run at Michigan, including the national championship victory in early 2024.
McCarthy and the Vikings will look to build on Monday night's momentum when Minnesota hosts the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night. The team will enter that game seeking its second win of the season and further clarity at the quarterback position after McCarthy's long-awaited on-field return.