Who has the most career receiving yards in NFL playoff history?

More of a role player when the Steelers claimed their first Super Bowl win, Swann broke through in historic fashion to close his second season. The standout wide receiver finished Super Bowl X with four receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown, making some of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history. Following that breakout day against Dallas, Swann ran his playoff receiving total to 907 yards. Swann's other postseason 100-yard day came in the Steelers' Super Bowl XIII rematch against the Cowboys, when he caught seven passes for 124 yard and a touchdown. Swann scored his final playoff TD against the Rams as the Steelers won their fourth Super Bowl a year later.

Brown posted four straight 100-yard playoff games over a three-season period, and the mercurial superstar finished with 918 yards in 13 postseason games. Brown came through with a key long-range playoff grab against the Ravens as a rookie, when he served as a role player, but was an All-Pro talent by 2014. A concussion kept Brown out of a 2015 divisional-round game, but he eclipsed 100 yards in two of Pittsburgh's 2016 playoff contests. Brown's top receiving performance came in a frantic Steelers rally that went for naught against the Jaguars. Still, Brown totaled seven catches for 132 yards and two TDs in that divisional-round loss. He later caught a touchdown as a Buccaneer in Super Bowl LV.

Still building his playoff legacy, Diggs made memorable contributions with the Vikings and Bills. Diggs has 925 receiving yards in 15 playoff games. The 2025 Patriots signee still has more chances, at age 32, to add to this total. Diggs' most memorable career moment -- the Minneapolis Miracle -- closed a 2017 divisional-round win over the Saints; he finished with a playoff career-high 137 yards. Diggs added 100-yard days in his first two Bills playoff games, as the 2020 Buffalo squad reached the AFC championship game. He started his Patriots playoff career with just two receptions for 16 yards in a wild-card win over the Chargers.

Opportunities were scarce for Fitzgerald, but he made the most of them. Only appearing in four playoff brackets, the all-time great finished with 942 yards. Fitzgerald's 546 yards and seven touchdown receptions in his 2008 playoff debut remain NFL standards in both categories. Kurt Warner's top wideout eclipsed 100 yards in all four Cardinals playoff games that year. Fitz added two more TDs in the Cards' 51-45 wild-card shootout win over the Packers a year later. Five years later against Green Bay, Fitzgerald accounted for all 80 Cardinals overtime yards in a walk-off win. He produced a playoff career-high 176 yards in that divisional-round triumph.

Branch enjoyed 17 playoff opportunities, 14 coming with the Patriots. The two-stint Tom Brady target produced 948 yards during his postseason career. Branch's first Patriots stay did the heavy lifting here, accounting for four 100-yard playoff games. He caught 10 passes for 143 yards in New England's shootout Super Bowl XXXVIII win over Carolina. Despite lesser stats (11/133), Branch won Super Bowl XXXIX MVP honors in the Pats' win over the Eagles. The Pats traded him to the Seahawks in 2006, but he was back in Foxborough by 2010. An auxiliary cog in a tight end-heavy Pats offense in the early 2010s, Branch played in five more New England playoff tilts.

Moss and Branch did not overlap for long in New England; the all-time receiving talent made his playoff years count with the Vikings and Patriots. Moss holds the regular-season receiving TD record as a Patriot (23), but his best playoff work came with the Vikings. Moss accumulated 977 receiving yards in 15 playoff games. Moss totaled three straight 100-yard playoff games across the 1999 and 2000 postseasons, including a 188-yard showing in a Vikes blowout loss in St. Louis. Scoring seven TDs across his first five playoff games, Moss was quieter in New England, topping 50 yards just once. He resurfaced in three 49ers playoff games after unretiring in 2012.

Although Adams stopped through Las Vegas and New York, no playoff appearances accompanied those trips. With the Packers and in this Rams cameo, however, the likely Hall of Famer thrived. Adams is at 982 yards through 12 playoff games. He has topped 100 yards four times in postseason contests, including his 2014 debut (the #DezCaughtIt game). Adams posted a career-high 160 yards and two TDs in a Packers divisional-round win over the Seahawks in the 2019 playoffs. He started his Rams run with a 72-yard showing in an opening-round win over the Panthers.

While stopovers occurred in Nashville, Tampa and Philadelphia, Jones did the bulk of his playoff work in Atlanta. Only logging 11 playoff games, Jones played smaller parts in one-offs with the Titans, Buccaneers and Eagles from 2021-23. Jones did make notable contributions as a tertiary Titans and Bucs target, running his career yardage number to 992, but he is best remembered for Falcons work. Jones is the only receiver since the 1970 merger to cross 180 yards in two playoff games, doing so in a 2012 NFC championship game loss to the 49ers and a 2016 NFC-deciding win over the Packers. 

Bursting onto the scene with back-to-back 100-yard playoff games, Smith finished his career with 1,001 postseason yards. Smith delivered two of the most memorable receiving performances in playoff history. Two years after his 163-yard showing ended with a walk-off touchdown to down the Rams in the 2003 divisional round, Smith erupted for 218 yards to vex a top-tier Bears defense. That dragged Carolina back to the NFC championship round. Even as an aging Smith settled in with the Ravens after being a Panthers cap casualty, he totaled 101 yards in a 2014 wild-card win over the Steelers.

Entering the NFL in the same 1974 draft class as Lynn Swann, Stallworth played five extra seasons. That helped him reach 1,054 yards despite totaling all of 104 in his first seven postseason contests. A clear Swann sidekick in the mid-1970s, Stallworth broke out as the Steelers launched a second set of back-to-back Super Bowl titles. After a 156-yard outing against the Broncos, Stallworth added 115 yards on three catches in Super Bowl XIII. A Swann copilot by 1979 , Stallworth caught a crucial 73-yard TD pass from Terry Bradshaw to bury the Rams in Super Bowl XIV. He added 100-yard games in losses to the Chargers (1982) and Dolphins (1984).

A Larry Fitzgerald wingman who became a late-career hired gun, Boldin produced almost everywhere he went. Boldin wrapped his career with 1,057 playoff yards. The big-bodied wideout logged 15 playoff games, but only three as a Cardinal. Boldin's best postseason work came in Baltimore, with which he delivered three 100-yard games -- including in Super Bowl XLVII. The Harbaugh brothers agreed on a trade that sent Boldin to San Francisco in 2013, and he became a lead 49ers option. Boldin's 136-yard game in Charlotte helped power the 49ers to a third straight NFC title tilt. Boldin made a final-season cameo in the playoffs with the Lions (2016).

Monk was the only constant among the Washington skill-position cadre between their Joe Theismann-quarterbacked Super Bowl win and a dominant 1991 championship team. The Hall of Famer finished with 1,062 playoff yards. Part of receiving corps with two nicknames -- the Fun Bunch and the Posse -- Monk played 15 playoff games. Left out of the scoring binge in Super Bowl XXII, Monk submitted a 113-yard, one-TD night against the Bills in Super Bowl XXVI. Monk totaled 163 yards in a divisional-round loss to the 49ers (1990); four years earlier, he scored two touchdowns to help Washington topple a 14-2 Chicago team in the divisional round.

Pearson did not clear 100 yards in a playoff game, but he played in 22 of them. Spending his career in a lower-octane passing environment, Roger Staubach's lead target was a main character in several postseasons. Pearson's most famous NFL contribution came on a Hail Mary play that downed the Vikings in the 1975 divisional round. He also scored an 83-yard touchdown to halt a Rams comeback in the 1973 divisional round. It took him five more years to score a playoff touchdown, but he caught two Danny White TD tosses to stun Atlanta and reach the 1980 NFC title game. Two years later, Pearson tallied a playoff career-best 95 yards in an opening-round win over the Buccaneers.

Playing on teams with dominant rushing attacks, Warfield came up big in the playoffs. Making 18 playoff appearances over a 14-year career spent with Cleveland and Miami, the Hall of Famer amassed 1,121 yards. Defenses were allowed freedom modern cover men dare not dream of, but Warfield still churned out six 85-plus-yard playoff games. Warfield's best work came in the 1971 postseason, when he followed a 140-yard night against the Chiefs -- in the longest game ever played -- with a 125-yard, one-TD outing to book the Dolphins their first Super Bowl berth. Before his 1970 trade, Warfield helped the Browns to the 1969 NFL championship game with a 99-yard performance to down the Cowboys.

Despite playing in an era with two or four playoff teams per conference, Biletnikoff suited up for 19 games. He accumulated 1,167 postseason yards. The reliable Raider/Stickum merchant was at his best during the 1968 playoffs, combining for a staggering 370 yards in just two games -- against the Chiefs and Jets. Biletnikoff later totaled 122 yards in 1974's "Sea of Hands" game, catching a first-half touchdown pass from Ken Stabler. At 33, Biletnikoff caught nine passes for 137 yards to help the Raiders stave off the Patriots in a tight divisional-round matchup. Two weeks later, Oakland prevailed in Super Bowl XI.

Teaming with Kordell Stewart, Tommy Maddox and Ben Roethlisberger, Ward was a 14-year Steeler who played in three Super Bowls. Across 18 playoff games, Ward ran up 1,181 yards. Known for providing a physical presence at receiver, Ward was at his best in Super Bowl XL. Highlighted by an Antwaan Randle El wideout pass TD, Ward totaled 123 yards that night en route to MVP honors. He delivered four more 100-yard playoff games, including two in 2004 -- as the 15-1 Steelers advanced to the AFC title game. Ward's playoff career-high tally (135 yards) came in a back-and-forth loss to the Jaguars in Mike Tomlin's playoff opener (2007).

An all-time NFL speed threat, Hill teamed with Travis Kelce to elevate Patrick Mahomes to unfathomable heights. Due largely to his Kansas City years, Hill has 1,212 playoff yards. Taking off once Mahomes assumed the controls in 2018, Hill came through with a pivotal deep grab in Super Bowl LIV to finish with 105 yards on nine catches. A year later, Hill zoomed to 172 yards to vanquish the Bills in the AFC championship game. Hill did plenty to hand the Bills an agonizing defeat a year later, galloping to 150 yards and a touchdown -- in a back-and-fourth fourth quarter for the ages -- in a 42-36 Chiefs win. Hill now awaits his post-Dolphins playoff chapter, should one arrive.

Spending most of his career as a No. 1 wide receiver on a championship contender, Reed compiled 21 playoff games and 1,229 yards. The Division II product was up to the task in January, first producing 115 yards and two touchdowns in an underrated divisional-round duel with the Browns (1989). Reed became part of NFL lore with a 136-yard, three-touchdown game as the Bills erased a playoff-record 32-point deficit to down the Oilers in the 1992 wild-card round. Producing 152 yards in a blowout Super Bowl XXVII loss to the Cowboys, Reed lasted until the Doug Flutie years, becoming an Eric Moulds complementary piece by the late 1990s.

Wayne has not joined Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James as Peyton Manning weapons enshrined in Canton yet, but he has come close. Wayne outdid Harrison in playoff volume, totaling 1,254 yards in 21 games. Wayne's banner day came in part because Champ Bailey matched up with Harrison in a 2004 wild-card game. Broncos rookie Roc Alexander could not handle the Colts' WR2, who doused Denver for 221 yards and two TDs. Wayne topped 100 yards in an overtime loss to the Chargers in the 2008 wild-card round, two years after his Super Bowl XLI TD. Post-Harrison, Wayne was there for then-rookie Andrew Luck in an 18-target, 112-yard game -- in a 2012 wild-card loss in Baltimore.

Considering the rule changes that have unleashed passing attacks since Branch's career, it is wildly impressive the deep-ball specialist ranks this highly. Branch played 22 playoff games from 1972-84 and reached 1,289 yards. Branch combined to score three Super Bowl touchdowns, including two on Jim Plunkett passes in Super Bowl XV against the Eagles. He added 94 yards and a score at 35 in the Raiders' Super Bowl XVIII romp past Washington. The Hall of Famer's best playoff showing came in defeat, when he dropped 186 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions in a 1974 AFC championship game loss to the Steelers.

Living up to his "Playmaker" nickname, Irvin surpassed 80 yards in his first six playoff games. Two of those came when Troy Aikman was out injured. A 16-game playoff participant, Irvin posted 1,315 yards. His breakthrough night came in Pasadena, when Aikman found him six times for 114 yards and two touchdowns in a Super Bowl XXVII runaway. Irvin then hit or eclipsed 100 yards in all three Cowboys-Packers postseason games from 1993-95. Although the Cowboys' threepeat attempt fell short in 1994, Irvin did his part by moving to 192 yards -- on a preposterous 26 targets -- in a loss to the 49ers in the NFC title round. 

One of two tight ends on this list, Gronkowski was probably the most dominant pass catcher of the 2010s. Tom Brady's career arc changed largely because of his future FOX coworker. Gronk played 22 playoff games and finished with 1,389 yards and 15 touchdowns. While his best statistical output came on a 145-yard, three-TD night against the Tim Tebow-led Broncos, Gronk made countless contributions in New England. After a 116-yard, two-TD Super Bowl LII night ended in a loss, Gronk came through with a crucial deep grab to set up a Pats TD in a Super Bowl LIII win. He later caught two TD passes from Brady as a Buccaneers rental in Super Bowl LV.

This space vehemently disagrees with any Edelman>Wes Welker narratives, but the Welker successor fared better in the playoffs. Never a Pro Bowler, Edelman racked up 1,442 yards in 19 playoff games. He did so despite missing all of 2017. Throwing a touchdown pass in a 2014 divisional-round win over the Ravens, the Patriots slot weapon totaled 109 yards and a game-winning score in Super Bowl XLIX. After back-to-back 100-yard games in the 2016 postseason, Edelman accumulated 87 -- including a circus catch to keep Patriots comeback hopes alive -- in the team's storybook rally past the Falcons. Edelman then won Super Bowl LIII MVP acclaim with a 10-catch, 141-yard showing two years later.

More talented tight ends have suited up , but Kelce's playoff marks will be tough to beat at this position. He starts a new tier here, tallying 2,078 yards in 25 playoff games. Responsible for nine 100-yard postseason games, Kelce got started with Alex Smith -- via a 128-yard showing in a 2015 wild-card win which was the Chiefs' first playoff victory in 22 years -- and entered overdrive with Patrick Mahomes. Kelce topped 95 yards in all six Chiefs playoff games from 2020-21. Without Tyreek Hill in 2022,  he became a vital piece and delivered  a four-TD playoffs. A mid-30s version of the Taylor Swift sidekick offered throwback work (116 yards) to down the Ravens in the 2023 AFC title game en route to a third Super Bowl title.

Leading the way at 22 TD receptions, Rice remains the playoff yardage king -- at 2,245. The receiving titan combined to catch 18 passes for 363 yards and four touchdowns between Super Bowls XXIII and XXIV. Rice's 1988 playoffs included six TDs, including two during a 133-yard showing on a frigid day in Chicago. Rice resurfaced in Super Bowl XXIX by catching three TD passes from Steve Young amid a 149-yard performance in a 49ers rampage. A year before snagging a Super Bowl touchdown pass at 40, the Raiders signee torched the Jets for 183 yards and a touchdown in the 2001 wild-card round -- a cool 17 years into his career. Rice did not catch a pass in the 2004 Seahawks' playoff cameo; somehow, his legacy endured.