The 2000 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 40th in the National Football League (NFL). They won the NFC Central division title with an 11–5 record. After not retaining either Randall Cunningham or Jeff George, the team was led by first-year starting quarterback Daunte Culpepper and running back Robert Smith, who ran for a then team record 1,521 yards and seven touchdowns. The Vikings started out 7–0 and were 11–2 after 14 weeks, but slumped briefly, losing their last three to the St. Louis Rams, Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts while Culpepper was hampered by injury. After easily beating the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional game 34–16, they were defeated 41–0 by the New York Giants in the Conference Championship. Running back Robert Smith retired at the end of the year, after only playing eight NFL seasons. It would be 2004 before the Vikings returned to the playoffs. After a contract dispute, Hall of Fame defensive tackle John Randle was let go after 11 seasons with the Vikings. Randle had only eight sacks this year, ending a streak of eight consecutive seasons with 10+ sacks. Seven Vikings including Culpepper, Moss, Carter, Smith, Korey Stringer, Robert Griffith and Matt Birk were selected to play in the Pro Bowl after the season. It was Stringer's only Pro Bowl appearance before his death in 2001. This would be the final full season for Dennis Green as the team's head coach, he was fired the next season with just one game remaining on the schedule.

Offseason

2000 draft

Notes:

Undrafted free agents

Staff

Roster

Preseason

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 2: at San Diego Chargers

Week 3: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 4: at Indianapolis Colts

Regular season

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Chicago Bears

Week 2: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week 3: at New England Patriots

Week 5: at Detroit Lions

Week 6: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 7: at Chicago Bears

Week 8: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 9: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 10: at Green Bay Packers

Week 11: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 12: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week 13: at Dallas Cowboys

Week 14: vs. Detroit Lions

Week 15: at St. Louis Rams

Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 17: at Indianapolis Colts

This was the first occasion the Colts hosted the Vikings in the regular season since 1968 in Baltimore, although the two teams would again play in the Colts’ stadium during that postseason. The intervening gap of 31 seasons constitutes the second-longest gap without one team visiting another in NFL history, and at the time was a record.

Standings

Postseason

Schedule

Game summaries

NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs (#3) New Orleans Saints

NFC Championship Game: vs (#1) New York Giants

Statistics

Team leaders

League rankings

Awards and records

40-year team

The Vikings named an all-time team in 2000 in recognition of the franchise's 40th year in the NFL.