List of NFL annual receiving yards leaders

In American football, passing, along with running (also referred to as rushing), is one of the two main methods of advancing the ball down the field. Passes are typically attempted by the quarterback, but any offensive player can attempt a pass provided they are behind the line of scrimmage.^[1] To qualify as a passing play, the ball must have initially moved forward after leaving the hands of the passer; if the ball initially moved laterally or backwards, the play would instead be considered a running play.^[2] A player who catches a forward pass is a receiver, and the number of receiving yards each player has recorded in each season is a recorded stat in football games. In addition to the overall National Football League (NFL) receiving champion, league record books recognize statistics from the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970.

Don Hutson led the NFL in receiving yards a record seven times with the Green Bay Packers.

The NFL did not begin keeping official records until the 1932 season.^[3] The average yards the leader has gained has increased over time – since the adoption of the 14-game season in 1961,^[4] all but one season saw the receiving leader record over 1,000 yards. No player has ever finished with over 2,000 receiving yards in a season; the current record is 1,964 yards, set by Calvin Johnson during the 2012 season. Wes Chandler, who led the league with 1,032 yards in the strike-shortened 1982 season, averaged 129 yards receiving per game, an NFL record.^[5]^[6]

Don Hutson led the league in receiving yards seven times, the most of any player; Jerry Rice is second with six. Hutson also recorded the most consecutive seasons leading the league in receiving, doing so for five seasons from 1941 to 1945, while Jerry Rice ranks second with three consecutive league-leading seasons from 1993 to 1995; they are the only players to lead the league in yards in more than four seasons. A Green Bay Packers player has led the league in receiving yards eleven times, the most in the NFL; the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams rank second with nine league-leading seasons. The most recent receiving yards leader was Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins, who recorded 1,799 receiving yards during the 2023 season.

NFL season receiving yards leaders

Bob Mann was the NFL's receiving yards leader in 1949, and the third player to lead the league in receiving while recording over 1,000 yards.

Future US Congressman Steve Largent led the league in receiving yards twice during his Hall of Fame career.

Key
Symbol	Meaning
Leader	The player who recorded the most receiving yards in the NFL
Yds	Total receiving yards
GP	The number of games that the player participated in during that season
^	Pro Football Hall of Fame member
*	The player is an active player
#	Player set the single-season receiving yards record
†	Player won the AP Most Valuable Player award in the same year
‡	Player won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award in the same year

List of National Football League (NFL) single-season receiving yards leaders
Leader	Player	Team	Yds	GP	Ref(s)
1932	Ray Flaherty^{^}	New York Giants	350^#	12	^[8]
1933	Paul Moss	Pittsburgh Pirates	283	10	^[9]
1934	Harry Ebding	Detroit Lions	264	12	^[10]
1935	Charley Malone	Boston Redskins	433^#	11	^[11]
1936	Don Hutson^{^}	Green Bay Packers	536^#	12	^[12]
1937	Gaynell Tinsley	Chicago Cardinals	675^#	11	^[12]
1938	Don Hutson^{^} (2)	Green Bay Packers	548	10	^[12]
1939	Don Hutson^{^} (3)	Green Bay Packers	846^#	11	^[12]
1940	Don Looney	Philadelphia Eagles	707	11	^[13]
1941	Don Hutson^{^} (4)	Green Bay Packers	738	11	^[12]
1942	Don Hutson^{^} (5)	Green Bay Packers	1,211^#	11	^[12]
1943	Don Hutson^{^} (6)	Green Bay Packers	776	10	^[12]
1944	Don Hutson^{^} (7)	Green Bay Packers	866	10	^[12]
1945	Jim Benton	Cleveland Rams	1,067	9	^[14]
1946	Jim Benton (2)	Los Angeles Rams	981	11	^[14]
1947	Mal Kutner	Chicago Cardinals	944	12	^[15]
1948	Mal Kutner (2)	Chicago Cardinals	943	12	^[15]
1949	Bob Mann	Detroit Lions	1,014	12	^[16]
1950	Tom Fears^{^}	Los Angeles Rams	1,116	12	^[17]
1951	Elroy Hirsch^{^}	Los Angeles Rams	1,495^#	12	^[18]
1952	Billy Howton	Green Bay Packers	1,231	12	^[19]
1953	Pete Pihos^{^}	Philadelphia Eagles	1,049	12	^[20]
1954	Bob Boyd	Los Angeles Rams	1,212	12	^[18]
1955	Pete Pihos^{^} (2)	Philadelphia Eagles	864	12	^[20]
1956	Billy Howton (2)	Green Bay Packers	1,188	12	^[19]
1957	Raymond Berry^{^}	Baltimore Colts	800	12	^[21]
1958	Del Shofner	Los Angeles Rams	1,097	12	^[22]
1959	Raymond Berry^{^} (2)	Baltimore Colts	959	12	^[21]
1960	Raymond Berry^{^} (3)	Baltimore Colts	1,298	12	^[21]
1961	Tommy McDonald^{^}	Philadelphia Eagles	1,144	14	^[23]
1962	Bobby Mitchell^{^}	Washington Redskins	1,384	14	^[24]
1963	Bobby Mitchell^{^} (2)	Washington Redskins	1,436	14	^[24]
1964	Johnny Morris	Chicago Bears	1,200	14	^[25]
1965	Dave Parks	San Francisco 49ers	1,344	14	^[26]
1966	Pat Studstill	Detroit Lions	1,266	14	^[27]
1967	Ben Hawkins	Philadelphia Eagles	1,265	14	^[28]
1968	Roy Jefferson	Pittsburgh Steelers	1,074	14	^[29]
1969	Harold Jackson	Philadelphia Eagles	1,116	14	^[30]
1970	Gene Washington	San Francisco 49ers	1,100	13	^[31]
1971	Otis Taylor	Kansas City Chiefs	1,110	14	^[32]
1972	Harold Jackson (2)	Philadelphia Eagles	1,048	14	^[30]
1973	Harold Carmichael^{^}	Philadelphia Eagles	1,116	14	^[33]
1974	Cliff Branch^{^}	Oakland Raiders	1,092	14	^[34]
1975	Ken Burrough	Houston Oilers	1,063	14	^[35]
1976	Roger Carr	Baltimore Colts	1,112	14	^[36]
1977	Drew Pearson^{^}	Dallas Cowboys	870	14	^[37]
1978	Wesley Walker	New York Jets	1,169	16	^[38]
1979	Steve Largent^{^}	Seattle Seahawks	1,237	15	^[39]
1980	John Jefferson	San Diego Chargers	1,340	16	^[40]
1981	Alfred Jenkins	Atlanta Falcons	1,358	16	^[41]
1982	Wes Chandler	San Diego Chargers	1,032	8	^[42]
1983	Mike Quick	Philadelphia Eagles	1,409	16	^[43]
1984	Roy Green	St. Louis Cardinals	1,555^#	16	^[44]
1985	Steve Largent^{^} (2)	Seattle Seahawks	1,287	16	^[39]
1986	Jerry Rice^{^}	San Francisco 49ers	1,570^#	15	^[45]
1987	J. T. Smith	St. Louis Cardinals	1,117	15	^[46]
1988	Henry Ellard	Los Angeles Rams	1,414	16	^[47]
1989	Jerry Rice^{^} (2)	San Francisco 49ers	1,483	16	^[45]
1990	Jerry Rice^{^} (3)	San Francisco 49ers	1,502	16	^[45]
1991	Michael Irvin^{^}	Dallas Cowboys	1,523	16	^[48]
1992	Sterling Sharpe	Green Bay Packers	1,461	16	^[49]
1993	Jerry Rice^{^}‡ (4)	San Francisco 49ers	1,503	16	^[45]
1994	Jerry Rice^{^} (5)	San Francisco 49ers	1,499	16	^[45]
1995	Jerry Rice^{^} (6)	San Francisco 49ers	1,848^#	16	^[45]
1996	Isaac Bruce^{^}	St. Louis Rams	1,338	16	^[50]
1997	Rob Moore	Arizona Cardinals	1,584	16	^[51]
1998	Antonio Freeman	Green Bay Packers	1,424	15	^[52]
1999	Marvin Harrison^{^}	Indianapolis Colts	1,663	16	^[53]
2000	Torry Holt	St. Louis Rams	1,635	16	^[54]
2001	David Boston	Arizona Cardinals	1,598	16	^[55]
2002	Marvin Harrison^{^} (2)	Indianapolis Colts	1,722	16	^[53]
2003	Torry Holt (2)	St. Louis Rams	1,696	16	^[54]
2004	Muhsin Muhammad	Carolina Panthers	1,405	16	^[56]
2005	Steve Smith	Carolina Panthers	1,563	16	^[57]
2006	Chad Johnson	Cincinnati Bengals	1,369	16	^[58]
2007	Reggie Wayne	Indianapolis Colts	1,510	16	^[59]
2008	Andre Johnson^{^}	Houston Texans	1,575	16	^[60]
2009	Andre Johnson^{^} (2)	Houston Texans	1,569	16	^[60]
2010	Brandon Lloyd	Denver Broncos	1,448	16	^[61]
2011	Calvin Johnson^{^}	Detroit Lions	1,681	16	^[62]
2012	Calvin Johnson^{^} (2)	Detroit Lions	1,964^#	16	^[62]
2013	Josh Gordon	Cleveland Browns	1,646	14	^[63]
2014	Antonio Brown	Pittsburgh Steelers	1,698	16	^[64]
2015	Julio Jones^*	Atlanta Falcons	1,871	16	^[65]
2016	T. Y. Hilton	Indianapolis Colts	1,448	16	^[66]
2017	Antonio Brown (2)	Pittsburgh Steelers	1,533	14	^[64]
2018	Julio Jones^* (2)	Atlanta Falcons	1,677	16	^[65]
2019	Michael Thomas^*‡	New Orleans Saints	1,725	16	^[67]
2020	Stefon Diggs^*	Buffalo Bills	1,535	16	^[68]
2021	Cooper Kupp^* ‡	Los Angeles Rams	1,947	17	^[69]
2022	Justin Jefferson^*	Minnesota Vikings	1,809	17	^[70]
2023	Tyreek Hill^*	Miami Dolphins	1,799	16	^[71]

Historical records for most receiving yards in one season

Records held for most receiving yards in a single season
Season	Player	Team	Receiving Yards	Games Played	Reign
1932	Ray Flaherty^	New York Giants	350	12	3 years
1935	Charley Malone	Boston Redskins	433	11	1 year
1936	Don Hutson^	Green Bay Packers	536	12	1 year
1937	Gaynell Tinsley	Chicago Cardinals	675	11	2 years
1939	Don Hutson^	Green Bay Packers	846	11	3 years
1942	Don Hutson^	Green Bay Packers	1,211	11	9 years
1951	Elroy Hirsch^	Los Angeles Rams	1,495	12	33 years
1984	Roy Green	St. Louis Cardinals	1,555	16	2 years
1986	Jerry Rice^	San Francisco 49ers	1,570	15	9 years
1995	Jerry Rice^	San Francisco 49ers	1,848	16	17 years
2012	Calvin Johnson^	Detroit Lions	1,964	16	Since 2012

AFL receiving yards leaders

Key
Symbol	Meaning
Player	The player who recorded the most receiving yards in the AFL
Yds	Total receiving yards
GP	The number of games that the player participated in during that season
^	Pro Football Hall of Fame member

List of AFL receiving yards leaders by season
Season	Player	Team	Yds	GP	Ref(s)
1960	Bill Groman	Houston Oilers	1,473	14	^[72]
1961	Charley Hennigan	Houston Oilers	1,746	14	^[73]
1962	Art Powell	New York Titans	1,130	14	^[74]
1963	Art Powell (2)	Oakland Raiders	1,304	14	^[74]
1964	Charley Hennigan (2)	Houston Oilers	1,546	14	^[73]
1965	Lance Alworth^{^}	San Diego Chargers	1,602	14	^[75]
1966	Lance Alworth (2)^{^}	San Diego Chargers	1,383	13	^[75]
1967	Don Maynard^{^}	New York Jets	1,434	14	^[76]
1968	Lance Alworth (3)^{^}	San Diego Chargers	1,312	14	^[75]
1969	Warren Wells	Oakland Raiders	1,260	14	^[77]

AAFC receiving yards leaders

Key
Symbol	Meaning
Player	The player who recorded the most receiving yards in the AFFC
Yds	Total receiving yards
GP	The number of games that the player participated in during that season
^	Pro Football Hall of Fame member

List of AFL receiving yards leaders by season
Season	Player	Team	Yds	GP	Ref(s)
1946	Dante Lavelli^{^}	Cleveland Browns	843	14	^[78]
1947	Mac Speedie^{^}	Cleveland Browns	1,146	14	^[79]
1948	Billy Hillenbrand	Baltimore Colts	970	14	^[80]
1949	Mac Speedie^{^}(2)	Cleveland Browns	1,028	12	^[81]

Notes

References

"AP MVP winners". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
"AP Offensive Player of the Year winners". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
"Hall of Famers – Alphabetically". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
"2012 NFL Record and Fact Book" (PDF). NFL.com. pp. 625–626. Retrieved June 19, 2013.

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