Calvin Johnson set the NFL single-season receiving yardage record in 2012, while playing for the Detroit Lions. Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp came close (1,947 yards) in 2021, and at times during the 2022 season, two players (Tyreek Hill and Justin Jefferson) were on track to surpass Johnson before falling short. Both fell far short, Hill with 1,799 yards and Jefferson with 1,809. If Jefferson hadn’t missed seven games last season, he could have challenged Johnson’s record.
The inclusion of the 17th regular season game a few years ago, of course, adds an asterisk to any single-season record that was previously established under a 16-game schedule. However, it is no different than records set when the NFL had a 14-game regular season schedule and broken with a 16-game schedule. The single-season NFL receiving yardage record had remained very stable. Jerry Rice’s previous record, 1,848 yards in 1995, remained for 17 years before Johnson surpassed it. Rice remains fourth on that chart for receiving yards in a season, but the rules to promote offense and the passing game have resulted in a boom in recent years. Of the 13 1,700-yard seasons in league history, five have
Calvin Johnson knows his receiving yardage record is destined to fall
Johnson spoke with Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (subscription required) on Monday at an NFL alumni golf event about his receiving yards record, which is expected to be broken soon.
“I mean, it’s bound to fall at some point the way it’s going, so it is what it is,” Johnson said. “I held it down, I don’t know even know how long, over a decade now.”
“They want more offense, man, so at some point (it’s going to happen),” Johnson said. “You got to be healthy. You got to play really a full 17 now. … That’s the key. You got to be healthy. If you can play 17, guys have put up numbers, you’re going to put up numbers. That 17, you get that extra game to put another 150 or 200 (yards).”
Health of course will be critical for anyone who makes a run at Johnson’s record. Having 17 games to get it done helps. The ultimate goal for the league seemingly is 18 regular season games, at which point Johnson’s receiving yardage record will surely fall-if he hasn’t been topped by then.
