With the Minnesota Vikings on their bye week, quarterback J.J. McCarthy used the downtime to enjoy a quiet family outing with his fiancée, Katya Kuropas, and their newborn son, Rome. The family spent the crisp October day at Minnetonka Orchards.
Katya shared a series of heartwarming moments from the day on Instagram. The couple posed beside the orchard’s “How Tall This Fall?” sign, holding baby Rome, who was dressed in a cozy denim outfit and knit sweater.
Another snapshot showed the infant resting in his stroller, bundled up for the cool weather, surrounded by pumpkins.
“Fall family outing,” she CAPTIONED the picture.
For McCarthy, the brief pause from football comes during a pivotal time in his young career. Drafted tenth overall by the Vikings in 2024, the former Michigan standout is viewed as a long-term franchise cornerstone.
Though sidelined earlier in his rookie season with a knee injury, McCarthy has continued to stay engaged with the team, learning the system and building chemistry with teammates. In the preseason opener, McCarthy reported soreness in his right knee.
After inspection, it was revealed that he had a fully torn meniscus and had to undergo surgery to repair it. The injury and the surgery that followed caused him to miss the entirety of the season with the Vikings.
McCarthy’s NFL journey didn’t start on a high note, and he became the first quarterback in league history, drafted in the first round, to miss the entire rookie season. Despite a rough start, he worked hard on his recovery and came back for the 2025 season.
Unfortunately, the new season hasn’t been kind to him either. McCarthy has been out with an ankle injury for weeks.
J.J. McCarthy is Nearing a Return
McCarthy is nearing a return after missing several weeks with a high ankle sprain suffered during the Vikings’ Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The quarterback initially stayed in the game before being ruled out for the following matchups as the injury worsened.
The Vikings’ Week 6 bye provided McCarthy valuable time to focus on rehab without missing additional game action. He stayed in Minnesota to continue treatment and strength work, gradually increasing mobility and practice activity.
Coaches and medical staff are optimistic about his progress, with McCarthy expected to return to full practice ahead of the team’s Week 7 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
While not completely at full strength, his movement and stability have improved significantly, putting him on track to rejoin the starting lineup soon. With the bye week behind them and McCarthy trending upward, the Vikings appear poised to get their young quarterback back at a crucial point in the 2025 season.
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