Who has the most receiving yards in a season for every NFL team?

Anquan Boldin set receiving records as a rookie, and Larry Fitzgerald is the best receiver in franchise history, but neither guy had a bigger season than Boston in 2001. The bulky receiver had 98 catches for 1,598 yards. A couple of years later he would sign a big contract with the Chargers but was cut after one year due to personality issues and a lack of work ethic. He then signed with the Dolphins but was busted for PEDs and was out of the NFL by 2005.

You can still debate if Jones or A.J. Brown should have been the first receiver taken in the 2011 NFL Draft, but you can’t argue with Jones’ production on the field. While he’s never been a touchdown machine, he’s led the NFL in receiving yards twice and receptions once, and was named to the All-Decade Team for the 2010s. His top year came in 2015 when he had a staggering 136 receptions for 1,871 yards.

The Ravens' franchise receiving yards record was Michael Jackson's for so long that he had set it in 1996, the first year the Ravens were in Baltimore. Now, the record has finally been broken, and by a tight end no less. Andrews notched 107 catches for 1,361 yards in 2021, making the All-Pro team for the first time in his career.

Josh Allen had an incredible breakout campaign in 2020, and his ability to improve his accuracy definitely deserves some credit for that. However, it also definitely helps to add a receiver like Diggs into the mix. Brought in via a trade from the Vikings, Diggs led the NFL in yards in his first year with the Bills. He notched 1,535 yards, which also set a new record as he helped lead Buffalo to its first division title since 1995.

Undersized but tenacious, Smith fought for every ball thrown his way. It paid off in his career, as he became a legend in Carolina. Smith’s top campaign came in 2005 when he set the Panthers’ franchise record with 1,563 yards, one of a handful of records he holds with the team.

The Bears have a history of unremarkable quarterback play, which has not helped the receivers that have come through Chicago. Sometimes, though, a receiver is able to put up some impressive numbers regardless. In 2012, Marshall was traded to the Bears from the Broncos, notching 101 catches for 1,508 yards, both team records. Marshall was named to the Pro Bowl, the first time a Bears receiver got that honor since 1971.

Chase first set the Bengals' record as a rookie en route to Offensive Rookie of the Year. In 2024, he was the best receiver in the NFL. The LSU alum became the latest member of the Triple Crown club. He led the league with 127 catches, 1,708 receiving yards, and 17 receiving touchdowns. 

If marijuana was treated differently in this country, Gordon could have had a very different career. Gordon was a rare supplemental draft pick due to being suspended from Baylor due to a positive marijuana test. His entire NFL career has been a mix of excellence on the field and suspended for breaking the NFL’s substance abuse policies. He’s rarely been able to put together a full season, but in the 2013 season he racked up 87 catches for 1,646 yards in only 14 games for the Browns. The next year he would be suspended for 10 games.

For almost two decades, Michael Irvin of the famed Cowboys "triplets" had the franchise record at 1,608 yards. He did that in 1995. That record finally fell in 2023, thanks to Lamb. Lamb's career has been a consistent uptick, and in 2023 he led the NFL with 135 receptions and finished second with 1,749 receiving yards. Sure, that was in 17 games, but Lamb beat Irvin's record by a comfortable margin, so no asterisk needed.

Thomas had an underrated career when you look back at it. That’s in spite of the fact in college he played in a triple-option offense and early in his pro career, Tim Tebow was his quarterback. Then, Peyton Manning arrived and Thomas took off as a receiver. He had five seasons in a row with over 1,000 yards with the Broncos, including 1,619 yards on 111 catches in 2014. The next year, he’d win a Super Bowl as well.

Since the retirement of Barry Sanders, there have been few bright spots for the Lions as a franchise. Johnson is the brightest of the bunch. The team that once had the league’s best running back now had the league’s best receiver. The pinnacle came in his incredible 2012 season. That year, “Megatron” managed to accumulate 1,964 yards. This was a new NFL record, once that still stands to this day. If only he could have gotten over the 2,000-yard mark.

The talk was that Aaron Rodgers and Adams were getting together for one "last dance" in 2021. Rodgers won his second MVP, while Adams had 123 catches for 1,553 yards, setting a new record. Surprisingly, Rodgers re-upped with the Packers to return in 2022. Adams, meanwhile, was shockingly dealt to the Raiders.

Having one season with over 1,500 yards in your career is impressive. Johnson managed to do it three times, which helped him make five All-Pro teams. The Texans legend – one of only a few – led the NFL in receiving yards in 2008 and 2009, but it was actually 2012 when he set the Houston record. That year, he had 1,598 yards.

Before Demaryius Thomas, Peyton Manning helped build up the reputation of Harrison. Not that Harrison was a slouch. You don’t end up in the Hall of Fame just because you played with an all-time great at quarterback. His 2002 season was the stuff of legends, as he set a (now-bested) record for receptions in a season with 143. He also notched 1,722 yards as well. When Harrison retired, he was second in the NFL in career receptions, and that came with plenty of yards along the way.

Did you know Smith is a two-time Super Bowl champ? It’s true, as he was technically a member of the 1992 and 1993 Dallas Cowboys, though he did not record a single reception. In 1995, the expansion Jaguars signed Smith off of a tryout, and the rest is history. Smith spent 11 seasons with the Jags and became one of the franchise’s first stars. He had nine seasons with over 1,000 yards including the 1999 campaign when he had 1,636 yards.

When you combine Hill’s speed with Patrick Mahomes, you have a recipe for success. Hill caught 12 touchdowns in the 2018 season, but we’re here for the yardage. That year, he also had 1,479 yards, which seems like a breakable record as long as Mahomes and Hill are joining forces in Kansas City.

The Raiders traded a lot to the Packers to bring Adams over, and he paid off. Adams broke Tim Brown's franchise record in 2022 by racking up 1,516 yards. Granted, he had 17 games in which to do it. Also, Adams' play didn't help the Raiders make the playoffs, or save Derek Carr's career in Vegas.

So far, this list has featured only seasons from 1996 and beyond, most of them taking place in the new millennium. Well, we’re going old school here. Alworth's record came back in 1965 when the Chargers were still in the AFL and the Super Bowl wasn’t a thing yet. He had 1,602 yards that year, but remember that they only played 14-game seasons back then.

After 2021, it's hard to argue that anybody other than Kupp is the best receiver in the NFL. He won the receiving triple crown with 145 catches for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. Sure, it was in a 17-game season, but those numbers are still incredible. They also won Kupp the Offensive Player of the Year award.

The Dolphins had a longstanding franchise record for receiving yards that dated back to 1984 when Dan Marino was shattering passing records. Things changed in 2022. The Dolphins traded for Hill, arguably the NFL's best receiver, in a deal that worked out for both teams involved. Kansas City finished with the best record in the AFC once again, while Hill racked up a whopping 1,710 yards to help the Dolphins eke into the playoffs in spite of injuries to their top-two quarterbacks on multiple occasions during the year. The next season, he one-upped himself. Though Hill missed a game in 2023, he finished with 1,799 yards to lead the NFL and break his own Dolphins record.

It seemed like Cris Carter would forever hold the receiving records in Minnesota...and then Randy Moss came around. Then, it seemed like Moss would hold the records forever...and now Jefferson has arrived. He's somehow gotten better every season of his career, and he's on a Hall of Fame trajectory at this point. In 2022, he led the NFL with 128 catches for 1,809 yards.

Speaking of Moss, he set the NFL’s receiving touchdown record for a single season in New England. However, he did not set the receiving yards record for the Patriots. That record belongs to Welker, who was a reception machine out of the slot for the Pats. His ability to chew up yards after the catch helped him finish with 1,569 yards in 2011.

Thomas has been a magnet for the ball since he was a rookie. He’s never had fewer than 92 catches in a full season. In 2019, he took things to a new level. In addition to setting a Saints record with 1,725 receiving yards, he also broke the NFL record for receptions in a season with a whopping 149. That earned him Offensive Player of the Year, naturally.

Cue the salsa music! Cruz went undrafted out of Massachusetts and only appeared in three games in the 2010 season. He wasn’t even a starter when the 2011 season started, but he would finish the year with 82 catches for 1,536 yards, setting the new Giants record. Cruz would have over 1,000 yards in 2012, but injuries caught up to him and he retired after the 2016 season.

That’s right, Marshall has two franchise records for receiving yards. This is a testament to his skill, but also to his combustible personality. You may recall that Marshall was traded to the Bears before the 2012 season and then set the franchise record. Before the 2015 season, he was traded to the Jets. That year, he had 109 yards, 1,502 yards, and 14 touchdowns. The touchdowns led the NFL. The yards set a new Jets record.

Do you want a big, athletic receiver to be the top option in your run-first offense? Then you want Brown. He did that with the Titans, and when they didn't want to pay him anymore, he moved on to the Eagles to do the same thing. Brown "only" had 88 catches, but he turned those into 1,486 yards and 11 touchdowns. He's a big-play receiver who didn't need a ton of receptions to set a new Philly record.

Brown’s personality clearly has caused him problems professionally and personally, but he keeps getting chances because he’s shown himself to be a truly incredible receiver at his peak. When he was with the Steelers, he was arguably the best receiver in the league. That was almost certainly true in the 2015 season when he notched 1,834 yards.

Metcalf has measurables that are off the charts. The dude is chiseled out of rock and can run like the wind. He came into the NFL a bit raw, and that was still true in 2020, his sophomore campaign. However, Metcalf showed what raw talent can do when he finished with 1,303 yards, which was a new Seahawks record. That’s one of the lower franchise records, but it’s still impressive.

Rice is the best receiver ever. We won’t take any arguments otherwise. He owns several NFL records, though he did lose the record for receiving yards in a season to Johnson. Rice still has the second-best season ever, though, as he had 1,848 yards in 1995. Given the rise in the passing game in recent years, that makes Rice’s season a little extra impressive. Not that Rice needs us to toot his horn.

Evans has played in seven seasons, and he’s had over 1,000 yards in all of them. That’s a new NFL record. He already owns every career receiving record for the Bucs. He set the single-season touchdown record in 2020 with 13, and in 2018 he set the receiving record with 1,524.

Here we have the earliest season on the list, so you can be forgiven for not immediately knowing Hennigan’s name. He only played in seven seasons, all for the Houston Oilers, and he was retired by 1966. Way back in 1961, Hennigan had a robust 1,746 yards. Again, remember that back in the day they only had 14-game seasons. He was tearing it up for the Oilers.

Santana Moss had a really good career, but he had to settle for being the second-best receiver named “Moss” for the entirety of it. He only made one Pro Bowl, but it was quite the campaign in 2005. He had 84 catches for 1,483 yards that season. That year, Randy Moss had 60 catches for 1,005 yards for the Raiders. Chalk that one up for Santana!