"Caleb Williams was at nail salon": NFL fans react to J.J. McCarthy seemingly watching film at hospital before birth of his baby boy Rome

A Minnesota Vikings fan account sparked online chatter on Friday after sharing a cropped image from J.J. McCarthy’s family photos taken at the hospital after his child's birth.

The zoomed-in section appeared to show an iPad screen. The fan account speculated whether the rookie quarterback was reviewing plays while celebrating the arrival of his son, Rome.

The image circulated across X, sparking fan reactions.

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"Caleb was at the nail salon," one fan posted. "No days off," another added. "Or other teams plays," a third added.

More fans reacted.

"Good, I was worried," one fan posted. "That’s my QB1," another added. "I wish I loved anything as much as JJ loves ball," a third added.

The quarterback and his fiancée, Katya Kuropas, welcomed their son, Rome, on Thursday night. By Friday, McCarthy was already back at Vikings practice. This drew praise from head coach Kevin O’Connell.

“He’s still so far ahead of schedule and in such a great place on the daily that we just want to continue that," O'Connell said, according to MPR. “We’re just going to continue to work through it the right way, as we kind of like to handle everything around here.”

J.J. McCarthy's debut sets the stage with a comeback win

NFL: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears - Source: Imagn

The chatter comes on the heels of J.J. McCarthy's first NFL start on Sept. 9, when he led Minnesota to a 27-24 comeback win over the Chicago Bears. His debut was uneven, but the fourth quarter showed his playmaking skills,

Early in the game, the offense went three-and-out on several drives, and he struggled to establish a rhythm with top target Justin Jefferson, who had one catch through the first three quarters.

A forced throw intended for Jefferson was intercepted by Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright and returned for a touchdown, extending Chicago’s lead to double digits.

But the closing stretch flipped the narrative. J.J. McCarthy displayed poise in the pocket, hitting Jefferson for his first career touchdown pass before later finding running back Aaron Jones wide open for the decisive score. He capped the rally with a rushing touchdown, showing off mobility that kept Chicago’s defense off balance.

Edited by Satagni Sikder