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A MINNESOTA Vikings star has looked unnoticeable after being seen on the sidelines of a regular season-finale game.
However, fans think that the player looked like an actor from the hit Netflix show Stranger Things.
McCarthy was spotted on the sidelines during the Detroit Lions’ win during Sunday Night Football[/caption]
During the highly-anticipated Sunday Night Football Week 18 game between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, the NBC cameras displayed rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy on the sidelines.
The 2024 Vikings first-round pick has spent his entire rookie season off the field due to a meniscus injury that required knee surgery during the preseason.
However, McCarthy’s appearance on live TV went viral after former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III had trouble identifying him on the broadcast.
McCarthy rocked flowing hair and was noticeably skinny, looking youthful in the process.
“That was not JJ McCarthy right? The flow is MAGNIFICENT REGARDLESS,” Griffin III wrote on X.
Plenty of fans agreed, replying that McCarthy looked younger than his usual 21-year-old self.
Some social media users compared McCarthy’s look to that of Joe Kerry, who played teenager Steve Harrington in the science fiction series Stranger Things.
The 32-year-old Kerry also sports long flowing hair, has a skinny build, and looks youthful.
“This the Stranger things dude?” one X user asked.
“Bro is Steve Harrington from ‘Stranger Things’ and now I’m worried the Vikings are in the Upside Down,” another commented.
“Pretty sure that’s the skinny high school kid in Stranger Things,” a third added.
McCarthy even responded to Griffin III on social media.
After Griffin III asked him, “Bro this you? The streets need to know,” the Michigan Wolverines product replied with a “Ver Ver Selb” gif, which is a meme showing German hockey player Michel Weidekamp biting a puck.
“The flow is majestic my guy,” Griffin III responded.
While McCarthy hasn’t appeared in a single game, the Vikings have gotten stellar results out of signal-caller Sam Darnold, who’s ranked in the top five for yards, touchdowns, and passer rating.
Darnold would have a disappointing performance in Week 18, however, as he failed to throw a touchdown in the team’s 31-9 loss in Detroit.
The Lions’ win secured them the NFC North division title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC, while the Vikings were handed the No. 5 seed.
Minnesota will have to decide on both McCarthy and Darnolds futures in the offseason, as the latter will likely receive a deal worth at least $40 million annually thanks to a franchise tag or extension.
It does appear that the team’s plane will likely involve keeping both quarterbacks in the 2025 season.
But first, the Vikings will go on the road to take on the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round next Monday.
Actor Joe Kerry played teenager Steve Harrington, middle, in the popular Netflix show Stranger Things[/caption]
