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With the heartfelt moments they share in their lives, Katya Kuropas and J.J. McCarthy have moved ahead to announce joyfully the birth of a son named Rome Micah McCarthy. The news came at a time when the NFL rookie cleared one memorable act from the book, just in time for his first-ever season. As instantly new news erupted into the whole professional sport world, it simultaneously gained attention from sort of joyful marriage clichés.
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Speaking about the name itself, Rome Micah McCarthy instantly became a big feat of discussion for eagle-eyed football fans when those little details at the end were picked up. Rome is an obvious reference to the city that will play host to the upcoming Super Bowl-this is the game all players dream of casting a very hard track to get to. The better half of that two-part name, though, references Micah Parsons, the star linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys who is up to be one of the fiercest divisional rivals that McCarthy will have to face twice a year in the NFC. Such a weird choice did not go unnoticed.
Reactions came pouring in, mostly balanced between crazy humor and outright disbelief, with one comment succinctly representing public opinion: “Naming your child after division opponents is absolutely wild — like of all the names in the world, you really went with the rival team’s identity? That’s next level crazy.” That one observation dove into why this personal choice instantly became a public talking point and is now intermixed with NFL storylines.
Meanwhile, another reaction offered a longer, somewhat more elaborate spin on the name’s true meaning: “Yall don’t see the vision. Rome + Micah = JJs son. He’s investing in the war.” This line of reasoning implied that this name is actually a long-game psychological maneuver on his future enemies, suggesting McCarthy is thinking four moves ahead, “4D chess,” before his first professional snap.
J.J. McCarthy and his fiancée, Katya Kuropas announced the birth of their first child — Rome Micah McCarthy. pic.twitter.com/oR8NdWWu9r
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 12, 2025
Of course, there had to be some who criticized the simultaneous discussion about gridiron strategy. They responded by way of the family angle. One such person smiled at the thought: “Another Rome in the world is never bad,” whom again steer back away from cheesy NFL opinions and back fully into celebration-mode over another life.
Furthermore, there were repercussions for Vikings’ fans who found more motivation to go the Micah route. The same give-away went on to state, “As a Vikings QB, naming your child Micah might have been a bad move,” basically meaning Parsons will be out there on the edge looking for McCarthy for many years to come. It is seemingly shaping up to be an outlandishly personal rivalry, at least in the NFC East.
Leading from there were those comments that went on with the traditional parodies meant for new parents: “Did he ask the baby: Where else would you rather be?” referring to McCarthy’s infamous pre-game catchphrase at Michigan. “J.J.’s dad was definitely there to smack the baby on the ass,” bop in a vision of that intense McCarthy-family rivalry flowing right into the delivery room.
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From analytical to utterly genuine, the announcement drew quite a spectrum of reactions while also showcasing how athletes’ private lives are immediately parsed through the vernacular of their professions. In J.J. McCarthy’s side of the world, the birth of his son marks a tremendous life event that has now, for better or worse, become his first and unofficial entry into downright fierce NFL rivalry trash talk. He’s a father; he’s a QB; he’s front and center in probably the wildest sports-related naming debate to date. Welcome to the League, Rome Micah.