The 5 Youngest QBs to Start a Game for the Vikings
Don’t look now, but Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy is closing the gap in Eagan, threatening to win the Week 1 QB1 job over Sam Darnold.
The 5 Youngest QBs to Start a Game for the Vikings
The veteran, Darnold, remains the odds-on favorite to take the baton into 2024, but folks shouldn’t be surprised one iota if McCarthy leads the offense right away at the New York Giants. He looks that poised.
So, for reference, these are the five youngest quarterbacks to start a game for the Vikings, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = youngest).
And, yes, McCarthy would be the youngest overall if he earns the Week 1 job.
5. Daunte Culpepper (2000)
Age: 23 Years | 219 Days
Minnesota selected Culpepper with the 11th overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, and contrary to some popular belief, the brute of a passer sat for the entire first season behind Randall Cunningham and Jeff George.
After the 1999 campaign, though, the Vikings went full tilt with Culpepper, and the next 5.5 years were history. Culpepper’s peak was mountainous, especially the 2004 season.
4. Spergon Wynn (2001)
Age: 23 Years | 142 Days
A punchline by fans, Wynn’s career in Minnesota was brief — but he was young.
As the 2001 season spiraled out of control and Dennis Green lost his job, the Vikings turned to Wynn, who promptly flopped in two road games at the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens.
Thereafter, he never played in the NFL again.
3. Tommy Kramer (1977)
Age: 22 Years | 279 Days
Kramer was associated with the Vikings for 13 seasons — we’re talking Harrison Smith longevity by modern standards — and he started off as a youngster in 1977.
He’s the third youngest Viking to start a game under center and remains active within the team’s community. You can find him on social media, tailgates, and Viking bars around the Midwest.
2. Teddy Bridgewater (2014)
Age: 21 Years | 322 Days
Bridgewater went live early in 2014, providing immediate hope that he could be the franchise’s savior. He did his part for two seasons until a brutal late-summer injury derailed his career in 2016, causing Minnesota to enter the Sam Bradford and Case Keenum eras.
Many fans wonder “what could have been” with Bridgewater, a quarterback who formally retired seven months ago.
1. Fran Tarkenton (1961)
Age: 21 Years | 233 Days
If J.J. McCarthy starts versus the New York Giants on September 8th, he’ll own this little Vikings record by two days.
Until then, Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton is the youngest Vikings quarterback to start a game. And it’s fitting because he’s the best signal-caller in franchise history. Tarkenton was there from the team’s inception and stayed with the team for 13 seasons, although he joined the Giants’ roster in between from 1967 to 1971.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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