The NFL season begins this week, with the Minnesota Vikings taking on a bitter rival Sunday afternoon. One Minnesota Vikings player last year spent time delivering pizzas, but it wasn't for tips; it was to help those less fortunate.

Vikings QB Spent Time Delivering Pizzas

The Minnesota Vikings open up the 2026-2027 season this Sunday afternoon taking on the Green Bay Packers. The game, which is a 3:25PM start, means the purple and gold faithful will have time to take in lunch before the game kicks off. Some Vikings fans may even order up a pizza for delivery before, during, or after the game.

What would you do if you answered the door and a player was standing there with your order? Would you recognize them?

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One Vikings player spent time delivering pizzas not to customers, but to those living in homeless encampments, and he did it without much fanfare back in 2025.

JJ McCarthy Giving Back To Minnesotans

According to a popular social media influencer who uses his platform to pay it forward, JJ McCarthy was helping to feed individuals living in a homeless encampment.

The influencer, Josh Liljenquist aka Joshlilj, is the content creator behind Live to Love. According to Josh's website, "Live to Love is the public mission behind the work - not a nonprofit, crowdfunding platform, or single fundraiser. His short-form human-interest work connects public attention with practical support, while the official Impact archive documents approved stories, source-linked fundraising, and real-world outcomes."

People know J.J. McCarthy for football. This is the side of him I wish more people got to see.
J.J., Josh Hedquist, and I met at OG Zaza in St. Paul before heading out to deliver pizzas to people living in a homeless encampment.
There was no big production behind this moment. We simply wanted to show up with food and spend time with people who are too often overlooked.
I’ve shared a lot of big surprises over the years, but sometimes the most meaningful thing you can give someone is your time and the reminder that they haven’t been forgotten.
If you know someone who needs help, or you want to see more of the impact stories, everything is in the comments.

Not Starting Week 1 But A Quality Person

While Kyler Murray is getting the start on Sunday, and his backup is Carson Wentz, it's great to see a young player like JJ take time to give back to others. While it's probably not the place he'd like to be on Sunday, he knows from his delivery experience that things could be worse.

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Gallery Credit: Getty Images

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Gallery Credit: Minnesota Vikings and Getty Images

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Gallery Credit: Getty Images