J.J. McCarthy missed practice on Thursday afternoon at TCO Performance Center.

The young quarterback had a good reason for the absence.

As players were taking the field for practice, head coach Kevin O’Connell told a group of reporters the McCarthy was at a local hospital with his fiancée, Katya Kuropas, as the couple prepared the welcome their son into the world.

There were no immediate updates provided by the Vikings. The assumption is that they will post on social media when the baby is born.

The big news for the McCarthy comes less than 72 hours after he dazzled in his NFL debut.

After struggling in the early stages of the game, McCarthy flipped a switch down the stretch, leading the Vikings to a 27-24 win over the Chicago Bears. The performance was good enough for McCarthy to be named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

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