On Monday, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will return to the stadium where it all started.
Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, McCarthy was a rabid Chicago Bears fan and attended his first NFL game at Soldier Field when he was 4 years old.
McCarthy’s father, Jim, recounted that day in 2007 in a recent Minnesota Star Tribune feature, detailing the game where the Bears played the team that would eventually select J.J. 10th overall in the NFL Draft, the NFC North rival Vikings.
“J.J. wore his favorite player’s jersey to the game that day at Soldier Field. No. 54, the great Brian Urlacher. Young J.J. had a Bears baseball hat turned backward, and a foam Bears claw on his hand,” Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins wrote.
To Jim, the details of that game were foggy, as he likely tried to forget about rookie running back Adrian Peterson rushing for a team-record 224 yards and three touchdowns and Minnesota clinching a 34-31 win as time expired.
But a memory that is clear from that day is a photo of a young J.J. wearing the aforementioned Bears gear on the concourse at Soldier Field, which they visited many times throughout his childhood.
Fans took to social media to react to the photo just days before a full-circle moment for McCarthy, who is making his first NFL start at Soldier Field on primetime Monday Night Football 18 years later.
Fans React to J.J. McCarthy Wearing Bears Gear
As the photo began to surface on X (formerly Twitter), one fan set the stage for the fuel both fan bases have, depending on the outcome of Monday night’s game.
“this picture on the internet is gonna end marvelously — or terribly,” they wrote.
Another fan noted the dominant performance by Peterson and the Vikings.
“And from that day on, he was a Vikings fan…😂🤝,” a second fan said.
Other fans stayed partial and focused only on J.J.’s fit.
“JJ a real one with the Urlacher jersey,” a third fan said. “Legend.”
But what Bears and Vikings fans can agree upon came in the comments of the Star Tribune story.
“At least he didn’t grow up as a packers fan,” one commenter wrote.
J.J. McCarthy’s Family Embraces Vikings’ Purple & Gold
An anecdote from the Star Tribune feature noted that McCarthy’s childhood bedroom was painted Bears navy blue and orange before his parents even brought him home from the hospital.
Jim didn’t seem to have any reservations about McCarthy becoming a Viking, especially given the prospect of his return to Soldier Field — this time on the grass.
“Being able to watch your son start in the NFL, let alone between the Colonnades of Soldier Field,” Jim told the Star Tribune. “You can’t draw up a bigger dream in the world as a parent.”
However, this time at Soldier Field, McCarthy’s family will be wearing different colors.
“Everything is purple in our house now,” Jim said, swearing off his allegiance to the Bears after 51 years.
Kickoff for Monday’s game begins shortly after 7:15 p.m. CT.
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