Getty Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy
Minnesota Vikings rookie J.J. McCarthy hopes to build a foundation of success in Minnesota, and his purchase of hometown hero Joe Mauer’s house is a fitting place to start.
A November 11 Pioneer Press report noted McCarthy had purchased the Minnesota Twins Hall of Famer’s house. According to tax and property records obtained by Heavy, the home was purchased on June 24 for $2.44 million, roughly two months after the Vikings drafted McCarthy 10th overall in April’s draft.
The two-story house features four bedrooms, five bathrooms and 7,252 finished square feet with 4.92 acres of land located in Sunfish Lake, a small suburb of 500 residents south of St. Paul — a two-mile drive from the Vikings’ headquarters in Eagan.
Mauer bought the Sunfish Lake homes for $1.75 million in 2012. According to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Mauer paid $6.3 million in cash for a home on Lake Minnetonka in the western Twin Cites metro in 2016.
Mauer and McCarthy aren’t the only Minnesota professional sports stars to live in Sunfish Lake. Former Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph also had a home there during his stead in Minnesota, according to Axios.
J.J. McCarthy Preparing as Vikings Starting QB Despite Injury
GettyVikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy during warmups of a 2024 preseason game against the Raiders.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has remained diligent in his development of McCarthy despite the former Michigan star’s season-ending meniscus surgery in August.
While McCarthy has had his individual rehab regiment, he’s participated in quarterback meetings every week and had one-on-one meetings with O’Connell every week, according to Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer.
McCarthy was cleared to join the Vikings on the sideline in Week 8’s Thursday night matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. He joined the team on their trip to Los Angeles, getting dinner with the quarterbacks Wednesday night and had the headset on during the game, Breer reported.
McCarthy continues to prepare as if he were the team’s starting quarterback, reciting play calls and working with O’Connell.
J.J. McCarthy Addresses Road to Recovery
At 21 years old, McCarthy’s biggest asset is his consistency and commitment to the learning process. He’s shown to be wise beyond his years, and while he hasn’t been available to media throughout his stint on the injured reserve, his overall message on his recovery rings true today.
“You know, it’s tough … but you know what, you take everything that life throws at you, good or bad, and you find the positive in it,” McCarthy said in September, per Vikings.com. “I feel like I’ve been able to gain those deeper connections with my teammates and really take a step back and learn the offense in a more relaxed state of mind. I’m just appreciating every moment.
“It was tough, that initial week of just understanding, you know, ‘I’m going to be out for a while.’ But I’m not going to sit here and sulk and think, ‘Woe is me’ and worry about the past,” he later added. “I’m just going to focus on how I can better in other ways in my life. And that’s what I’ve been doing every single day, and I’m seeing a lot of growth in a lot of different areas. I’m just attacking it each day, and that’s what I’m worried about.”
Trevor Squire is a sports journalist covering the NFL and NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks. Trevor studied journalism at the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities, making stops at the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @trevordsquire. More about Trevor Squire
