What Is The NFL Receiving Record?

The National Football League receiving record is currently held by Jerry Rice, who caught 1,848 passes for 22,895 yards during his career.

Jerry Rice

19,247 receiving yards

Jerry Rice is widely considered the greatest receiver in NFL history. He played for 20 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers, and holds nearly every significant receiving record. He was named First Team All-Pro 10 times, played in 13 Pro Bowls, and was named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 1987 and 1993.

Rice’s most significant record is his career total of 19,247 receiving yards. He also holds the records for most catches in a season (182 in 1995), most catches in a career (1,549), most touchdown catches in a season (22 in 1987), and most touchdown catches in a career (197).

1,848 receptions

Jerry Rice is the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions, having caught 1,848 passes in his 20 NFL seasons. He played his entire career with the San Francisco 49ers, where he was a three-time Super Bowl champion. He was also selected to 13 Pro Bowls and was named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 1987.

22 seasons

Jerry Rice is a former American football player who played wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for twenty-two seasons. He is considered to be the greatest receiver in NFL history, and he holds numerous NFL receiving records.

Rice was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft, and he played for the team from 1985 to 2000. He then spent two seasons with the Oakland Raiders before returning to the 49ers for his final four seasons. Rice was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

In his 22 NFL seasons, Jerry Rice caught 1,549 passes for 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns. He was named to 13 Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro selection 10 times. He won three Super Bowls with the 49ers and was named the Super Bowl MVP in 1989.

Terrell Owens

On Dec. 17, 2007, in a game against the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers receiver Terrell Owens caught a short pass from quarterback Trent Dilfer and broke free for a 77-yard touchdown reception, setting the NFL single-game receiving record with a total of 263 yards. It was the culmination of a career that saw Owens shatter numerous records.

15,934 receiving yards

In his 15-year career, Terrell Owens racked up 15,934 receiving yards, which is the most in NFL history. He’s also second in catches (1,078) and third in touchdown receptions (153).

1,078 receptions

In his 15-year career, Owens caught 1,078 passes for 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns in 219 games.

16 seasons

He played for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the San Francisco 49ers, but also with the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens holds or shares several National Football League records. His 15,934 career receiving yards is second in NFL history only to Jerry Rice, while his 153 receiving touchdowns is third behind only Rice and Randy Moss. As of 2019, Owens holds the NFL record for most games with 150+ receiving yards (28).

Randy Moss

In 2007, Randy Moss caught 23 touchdown passes, which is the NFL receiving record. He was a part of the New England Patriots team that went undefeated that season.

15,292 receiving yards

NFL Receiving Yards Leader: Randy Moss
Randy Moss is the NFL’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 15,292. He played for the Minnesota Vikings, the Oakland Raiders, the New England Patriots, the Tennessee Titans and the San Francisco 49ers during his hall of fame career.

982 receptions

Randy Moss is a former American football wide receiver who played for fourteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He holds the NFL single-season touchdown reception record, as well as the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie.

14 seasons

Moss played 14 seasons in the NFL, the first 12 with the Minnesota Vikings and the last two with the New England Patriots. He holds the NFL single-season touchdown reception record (23 in 2007), the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie (17 in 1998), and is second on the NFL all-time regular season touchdown reception list with 156 (behind Jerry Rice’s 197). He is also second on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards per game average list among players with at least 500 career catches, as his career average of 79.8 yards per game is behind only Calvin Johnson’s 81.1 yard per game mark among such players.

Moss was selected by the Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft after a controversial college career at Marshall University. He became one of the league’s most dominant wide receivers from 1999 to 2004, being voted to six Pro Bowls and named a First-Team All-Pro four times.pictured during his time with NFC North division rival Green Bay Packers
Despite sporadic conflicts with coaches and teammates throughout his 11 seasons in Minnesota, including heated sideline exchanges with head coach Dennis Green during his rookie season, Moss grew to become one of quarterback Daunte Culpepper’s favorite targets during his time with the Vikings, catching 574 passes for 9,012 yards and 90 touchdowns from 1998 to 2004.

Calvin Johnson

Calvin Johnson is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech, and was considered the best wide receiver prospect of his class. In his rookie year, he set an NFL record for most yards receiving by a rookie. He also holds the NFL record for most career receiving yards, and is the only player in NFL history to have averaged more than 100 yards receiving per game for his career.

11,619 receiving yards

In 2012, Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions broke Jerry Rice’s record for most receiving yards in a single season. Johnson finished the season with 1,964 yards, 16 touchdown receptions, and 122 receptions. The previous record was 1,848 yards, held by Rice since 1995.

731 receptions

In 2012, Calvin Johnson broke Jerry Rice’s all-time record for most catches in a season, with 122. He finished the season with 1,964 yards, which was second in the NFL behind only Wes Welker. Johnson’s 1,964 yards was just eight yards shy of Rice’s single-season record.

9 seasons

In total, Calvin Johnson played 9 seasons in the NFL, all with the Detroit Lions. He was drafted by the Lions in 2007 and played his last game in 2015. During his time in the NFL, Calvin Johnson set or tied numerous records, including the single season receiving yards record. He also holds the Lions’ franchise records for most career receiving yards and most receiving touchdowns.

Julio Jones

Julio Jones is an American football wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Alabama, and was drafted by the Falcons sixth overall in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

10,731 receiving yards

The NFL receiving yards leader is the player who has accumulated the most receiving yards in a career. Receptions are a secondary statistic because a yard gained on a reception may be worth more than a yard gained on any other play type. The NCAA (college) all-time leader in receiving yards is Trevor Insley, who had 5,005 yards while playing for Colorado State from 1996 to 1999. Insley’s record is considered exceptional, as the second place player on the list, Randy Moss, only had 3,904 yards.

In the NFL, Julio Jones is the all-time leader in receiving yards, with 10,731 as of the end of the 2020 season. Jerry Rice is second on the list with 22,895 career receiving yards, and Larry Fitzgerald is third with 17,283. Of active players, Antonio Brown is fourth with 11,263 career receiving yards.

583 receptions

The NFL’s all-time leader in receptions is Jerry Rice, who caught 1,549 passes over the course of his 20-year career. Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald is second on the list with 1,326 catches, while Anquan Boldin is third with 1,076.

Julio Jones ranks fourth on the NFL’s all-time list with 583 receptions. The five-time Pro Bowler has caught at least 80 passes in six of his eight seasons in the league, including a career-high 136 catches in 2015.

9 seasons

Julio Jones is an American football wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Alabama, and was drafted by the Falcons sixth overall in the 2011 NFL Draft.Jones has led the league in receiving yards twice, and is currently second all-time in career receiving yards per game, trailing only Calvin Johnson. He is also second in career catches per game.