J.J. McCarthy joins chorus as NFL stars mourn Khyree Jackson’s death

J.J. McCarthy joined in on tributes pouring in for Khyree Jackson after the Vikings cornerback passed away in a car accident. He was recently selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Minnesota franchise, having previously played for Fort Scott, Alabama, and Oregon in college.

J.J. McCarthy posted a picture in memory of the defensive back, captioned,

"In memory of Khyree Jackson... 1999-2024"

The quarterback also wrote underneath,

"Too much ahead of him. Rest in peace to a phenomenal athlete but more importantly a really f*ckin great man. See you in the next life fam."

Screenshot taken from Instagram @jjmccarthy story

J.J. McCarthy joined by others in paying tribute to Khyree Jackson

J.J. McCarthy was not the only one joining in a tribute. Other NFL personalities joined in mourning a life lost too soon.

Robert Griffin III, the former quarterback, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter,

"Gone way too soon. Heartbreaking man."

Torrey Smith invoked both Khyree Jackson's name and those who were killed with him in the car crash, posting on X,

"RIP Khyree, Isaiah, and Anthony (prayer emoji)... Prayers up for their families, friends, and the Wise community."

Dez Bryant posted a praying hands emoji too.

The rookie defensive back was traveling with Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton in a Dodge Charger. The Vikings cornerback was reported to be in the front seat of the car. There were two other vehicles involved in the accident: an Impala and an Infinity Q50. It was mentioned that the Q50 was allegedly the one who swerved lanes while driving at high speed and crashed into the Charger.

Khyree Jackson's accident is also the latest to involve young NFL players being involved in car crashes. There was Henry Ruggs' fatal crash in Vegas that saw him being sentenced to prison. Rashee Rice has been involved in incidents during the offseason and has provided an unwanted distraction for the Kansas City Chiefs. But in the Vikings cornerback's case, it does not look likely that he was at any fault.

The whole issue is a devastating blow to his family, community, former and current teams. But as J.J. McCarthy mentioned, beyond his footballing abilities, it is him as a person that those who knew him will miss and cherish him. A bright NFL future awaited him but with his untimely demise, the league will be poorer from having missed out his potential.