Tanner McKee vs Steve Young: How Do They Compare?
Every time a Latter-day Saint quarterback plays well in the NFL, the Steve Young comparisons start flying. That’s just how it works. So when Tanner McKee went from sixth-round afterthought to a legitimate name in Philadelphia’s quarterback room, the analysts reached for the obvious benchmark — Steve Young, the Hall of Famer, two-time MVP, and great-great-great-grandson of Brigham Young himself.
The faith connection is real. The physical comparison? Not so much. These two are built nothing alike. Young was a compact, left-handed sprinter who treated the pocket as a suggestion. McKee is four inches taller, heavier, right-handed, and plays like a man who’d rather take a sack than run for three yards. Here’s the breakdown.
Image: Ghyuty17 / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
McKee, born May 7, 2000, in Corona, California, came to the NFL the long way. He served a two-year mission in Brazil before ever taking a college snap, originally committed to BYU, then signed with Stanford instead. By the time the Eagles took him at pick 188 in the 2023 draft, he was already 23.
Young’s path was weirder. Born October 11, 1961, in Salt Lake City and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, he arrived at BYU as the eighth-string quarterback. He left as the 1983 Heisman runner-up and signed a reported $40 million deal with the USFL’s Los Angeles Express — absurd money for 1984.
Side-by-Side Stats
| Stat | Tanner McKee | Steve Young |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Weight | 231 lbs (105 kg) | 215 lbs (98 kg) in his playing days |
| Age | 25 | 64 |
| Date of Birth | May 7, 2000 | October 11, 1961 |
| Build | Tall, long-limbed pocket frame | Compact, thick-legged athletic build |
| Eye Color | Brown | Blue |
| Hair Color | Dark brown | Dark brown |
| Net Worth | Est. $2 million | Est. $200 million |
Height Comparison
Four inches doesn’t sound like much until you put them shoulder to shoulder. At 6’6″, McKee would have a clear head advantage over Young’s 6’2″, and the difference in limb length is even more obvious — McKee has the long arms and high release point that scouts drool over, the kind of frame that lets a quarterback throw over interior linemen without climbing or sliding.
Young, at 6’2″ and 215 lbs, was closer to the classic 1980s build. Plenty tall for the era, but thickly built through the thighs and hips in a way modern pocket passers usually aren’t. He looked more like a safety who’d wandered into the quarterback meeting.
For context, the average American adult male is about 5’9″. Both men clear that easily. McKee is tall even by NFL quarterback standards, where the typical starter lands somewhere around 6’3″.
Career Comparison
Young’s résumé is about as good as it gets. After two rough seasons in Tampa Bay (1985–86), he was traded to San Francisco and spent four years holding a clipboard behind Joe Montana — one of the most famous understudy stints in sports history. When he finally got the job in 1991, he ran with it. NFL MVP in 1992 and 1994. Super Bowl XXIX MVP after throwing six touchdown passes against the Chargers, still a Super Bowl record. He retired in 2000 with a 96.8 career passer rating, the highest in league history at the time, plus 43 rushing touchdowns — a quarterback record when he walked away. Hall of Fame, class of 2005.
McKee’s story is still early chapters. Two seasons as Stanford’s starter in 2021 and 2022, about 5,000 passing yards combined on some rough teams. Drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round in 2023, he spent his rookie year inactive. His breakout audition came in Week 18 of the 2024 season against the Giants, when he threw two touchdown passes in a meaningless-on-paper game that turned out to matter a lot for his career trajectory. The arm talent is obvious. The sample size isn’t.
Fitness and Body Approach
Young trained like a dual-threat because he was one. He ran for 4,239 yards in his career, and his conditioning work reflected it — sprint work, agility drills, heavy lower-body lifting to survive the hits he invited. He played a physical, borderline reckless style that eventually caught up with him; concussions forced his retirement at 38. Post-football, he’s stayed lean and visibly fit into his 60s, with running and golf doing most of the work.
McKee’s program is the modern NFL quarterback template: mobility, shoulder and rotator cuff maintenance, core rotational power, and just enough mass to absorb contact without losing arm speed. He came into the 2023 Combine at 231 lbs on that 6’6″ frame — not bulky, but not skinny either. Guys built like him tend to focus on hip and thoracic mobility, because long levers get stiff fast.
Key Differences
- Height: McKee is four inches taller at 6’6″ versus Young’s 6’2″.
- Weight: McKee carries about 16 more pounds, though spread over a much longer frame.
- Throwing hand: Young was one of the great left-handed quarterbacks ever. McKee throws right-handed.
- Playing style: Young was a scrambler with 43 career rushing TDs. McKee is a pure pocket operator.
- Age gap: About 38 years and seven months separate their birthdates.
- Net worth: Young’s post-football private equity career has pushed him into nine figures. McKee is still on a rookie-scale deal.
- Path to the league: Young was the Heisman runner-up and a USFL millionaire. McKee was pick No. 188.
The shared faith and the Mormon-pipeline storyline make for an easy headline. Physically and stylistically, though, these are two completely different quarterbacks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is taller, Tanner McKee or Steve Young?
Tanner McKee is taller at 6 ft 6 in (198 cm), compared to Steve Young’s 6 ft 2 in (188 cm).
What is the height difference between Tanner McKee and Steve Young?
The difference is 4 inches (10 cm), with McKee at 6’6″ and Young at 6’2″.
Who weighs more, Tanner McKee or Steve Young?
Tanner McKee weighs more at 231 lbs (105 kg), about 16 lbs heavier than Steve Young’s playing weight of 215 lbs (98 kg).
Who is older, Tanner McKee or Steve Young?
Steve Young is much older. Born October 11, 1961, he is 64, while Tanner McKee, born May 7, 2000, is 25.
Who is richer, Tanner McKee or Steve Young?
Steve Young is far wealthier, with an estimated net worth of around $200 million versus Tanner McKee’s estimated $2 million.
How do their builds and playing styles differ?
McKee has a tall, long-limbed pocket frame with a high release point and is right-handed, while Young was a compact, thick-legged, left-handed scrambler.
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Last Updated: October 20, 2026 | Source: Healthy Celeb
