List of NFL annual receptions 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.^[2] 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.^[3] The act of catching a forward pass is a reception. The number of receptions each player makes is a recorded statistic 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. Although league record books do not recognize statistics from the All-America Football Conference, another league that merged with the NFL, these statistics are recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.^[4][5]

Michael Thomas currently holds the single-season receptions record with 149 in 2019.^[1]

The NFL did not begin keeping official records until the 1932 season.^[6] The total receptions of the leader has increased over time due to the increase of the number of games within an NFL season as well as the increase in the prevalence of passing in the NFL.^[7][8] Don Hutson led the league in receptions a record eight times. The first NFL player to record over 100 receptions in a season was Art Monk in 1984; Lionel Taylor and Charlie Hennigan had accomplished the feat in the AFL in 1961 and 1964 respectively. The NFL record for single-season receptions has changed on 15 occasions, with Michael Thomas holding the current record of 149 receptions set in 2019.^[1]

NFL annual receptions leaders

Don Hutson led the NFL in receptions a record 8 times.

Tom Fears broke the single-season receptions record in consecutive years in 1949 and 1950.

Kellen Winslow led the NFL in receptions in 1980 and 1981.

Art Monk became the first NFL player to record over 100 receptions in a season with 106 in 1984. Lionel Taylor and Charlie Hennigan had accomplished the feat in the AFL.

Marvin Harrison led the NFL in receptions twice in his career including a then-record 143 receptions in 2002.

Wes Welker led the league in receptions three times in his career, the most of any player in the 21st century.

Ja'Marr Chase is the most recent player to lead the NFL in receptions, recording 127 receptions in the 2024 season.

Key

Symbol	Meaning
Leader	The player who recorded the most receptions in the NFL
Rec	The total number of receptions the player had
GP	The number of games played by a player during the season[A]
†	Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
^	Active player
*	Set the single-season receptions record
(#)	Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list

NFL annual receptions leaders by season

Season	Leader	Rec	GP	Team	Refs
1932	Ray Flaherty†	21*	12	New York Giants	[9][10]
1933	Shipwreck Kelly	34*	10	Brooklyn Dodgers	[9][11]
1934	Red Badgro†	16	13	New York Giants	[9][12]
	Joe Carter		11	Philadelphia Eagles	[9][13]
1935	Tod Goodwin	26	12	New York Giants	[9][14]
1936	Don Hutson†	34	12	Green Bay Packers	[9][15]
1937	Don Hutson† (2)	41*	11	Green Bay Packers	[9][15]
1938	Gaynell Tinsley	41	11	Chicago Cardinals	[9][16]
1939	Don Hutson† (3)	34	11	Green Bay Packers	[9][15]
1940	Don Looney	58*	11	Philadelphia Eagles	[9][17]
1941	Don Hutson† (4)	58	11	Green Bay Packers	[9][15]
1942	Don Hutson† (5)	74*	11	Green Bay Packers	[9][15]
1943	Don Hutson† (6)	47	10	Green Bay Packers	[9][15]
1944	Don Hutson† (7)	58	10	Green Bay Packers	[9][15]
1945	Don Hutson† (8)	47	10	Green Bay Packers	[9][15]
1946	Jim Benton	63	11	Los Angeles Rams	[9][18]
1947	Jim Keane	64	12	Chicago Bears	[9][19]
1948	Tom Fears†	51	12	Los Angeles Rams	[9][20]
1949	Tom Fears† (2)	77*	12	Los Angeles Rams	[9][20]
1950	Tom Fears† (3)	84*	12	Los Angeles Rams	[9][20]
1951	Elroy Hirsch†	66	12	Los Angeles Rams	[9][21]
1952	Mac Speedie† (3)	62	12	Cleveland Browns	[9][22]
1953	Pete Pihos†	63	12	Philadelphia Eagles	[9][23]
1954	Pete Pihos† (2)	60	12	Philadelphia Eagles	[9][23]
	Billy Wilson		12	San Francisco 49ers	[9][24]
1955	Pete Pihos† (3)	62	10	Philadelphia Eagles	[9][23]
1956	Billy Wilson (2)	60	12	San Francisco 49ers	[9][24]
1957	Billy Wilson (3)	52	11	San Francisco 49ers	[9][24]
1958	Raymond Berry†	56	12	Baltimore Colts	[9][25]
	Pete Retzlaff		12	Philadelphia Eagles	[9][26]
1959	Raymond Berry† (2)	66	12	Baltimore Colts	[9][25]
1960	Raymond Berry† (3)	74	12	Baltimore Colts	[9][25]
1961	Jim Phillips	78	14	Los Angeles Rams	[9][27]
1962	Bobby Mitchell†	72	14	Washington Redskins	[9][28]
1963	Bobby Joe Conrad	73	14	St. Louis Cardinals	[9][29]
1964	Johnny Morris	93*	14	Chicago Bears	[9][30]
1965	Dave Parks	80	14	San Francisco 49ers	[9][31]
1966	Charley Taylor†	70	14	Washington Redskins	[9][32]
1967	Charley Taylor† (2)	70	12	Washington Redskins	[9][32]
1968	Clifton McNeil	71	14	San Francisco 49ers	[9][33]
1969	Danny Abramowicz	73	14	New Orleans Saints	[9][34]
1970	Dick Gordon	71	14	Chicago Bears	[9][35]
1971	Fred Biletnikoff†	61	14	Oakland Raiders	[9][36]
1972	Harold Jackson	62	14	Philadelphia Eagles	[9][37]
1973	Harold Carmichael†	67	14	Philadelphia Eagles	[9][38]
1974	Lydell Mitchell	72	14	Baltimore Colts	[9][39]
1975	Chuck Foreman	73	14	Minnesota Vikings	[9][40]
1976	MacArthur Lane	66	14	Kansas City Chiefs	[9][41]
1977	Lydell Mitchell (2)	71	14	Baltimore Colts	[9][39]
1978	Rickey Young	88	16	Minnesota Vikings	[9][42]
1979	Joe Washington	82	15	Baltimore Colts	[9][43]
1980	Kellen Winslow†	89	16	San Diego Chargers	[9][44]
1981	Kellen Winslow† (2)	88	16	San Diego Chargers	[9][44]
1982	Dwight Clark	60	9	San Francisco 49ers	[9][45]
1983	Todd Christensen	92	16	Los Angeles Raiders	[9][46]
1984	Art Monk†	106*	16	Washington Redskins	[9][47]
1985	Roger Craig	92	16	San Francisco 49ers	[9][48]
1986	Todd Christensen (2)	95	16	Los Angeles Raiders	[9][46]
1987	J. T. Smith	91	15	St. Louis Cardinals	[9][49]
1988	Al Toon	93	15	New York Jets	[9][50]
1989	Sterling Sharpe†	90	16	Green Bay Packers	[9][51]
1990	Jerry Rice†	100	16	San Francisco 49ers	[9][52]
1991	Haywood Jeffires	100	16	Houston Oilers	[9][53]
1992	Sterling Sharpe† (2)	108*	16	Green Bay Packers	[9][51]
1993	Sterling Sharpe† (3)	112*	16	Green Bay Packers	[9][51]
1994	Cris Carter†	122*	16	Minnesota Vikings	[9][54]
1995	Herman Moore	123*	16	Detroit Lions	[9][55]
1996	Jerry Rice† (2)	108	16	San Francisco 49ers	[9][52]
1997	Tim Brown†	104	16	Oakland Raiders	[9][56]
	Herman Moore (2)		16	Detroit Lions	[9][55]
1998	O. J. McDuffie	90	16	Miami Dolphins	[9][57]
1999	Jimmy Smith	116	16	Jacksonville Jaguars	[9][58]
2000	Marvin Harrison†	102	16	Indianapolis Colts	[9][59]
	Muhsin Muhammad		16	Carolina Panthers	[9][60]
2001	Rod Smith	113	15	Denver Broncos	[9][61]
2002	Marvin Harrison† (2)	143*	16	Indianapolis Colts	[9][59]
2003	Torry Holt	117	16	St. Louis Rams	[9][62]
2004	Tony Gonzalez†	102	16	Kansas City Chiefs	[9][63]
2005	Larry Fitzgerald	103	16	Arizona Cardinals	[9][64]
	Steve Smith Sr.		16	Carolina Panthers	[9][65]
2006	Andre Johnson†	103	16	Houston Texans	[9][66]
2007	T. J. Houshmandzadeh	112	16	Cincinnati Bengals	[9][67]
	Wes Welker		16	New England Patriots	[9][68]
2008	Andre Johnson† (2)	115	16	Houston Texans	[9][66]
2009	Wes Welker (2)	123	14	New England Patriots	[9][68]
2010	Roddy White	115	16	Atlanta Falcons	[9][69]
2011	Wes Welker (3)	122	16	New England Patriots	[9][68]
2012	Calvin Johnson†	122	16	Detroit Lions	[9][70]
2013	Pierre Garçon	113	16	Washington Redskins	[9][71]
2014	Antonio Brown	129	16	Pittsburgh Steelers	[9][72]
2015	Antonio Brown (2)	136	16	Pittsburgh Steelers	[9][72]
	Julio Jones		16	Atlanta Falcons	[9][73]
2016	Larry Fitzgerald (2)	107	16	Arizona Cardinals	[9][64]
2017	Jarvis Landry	112	16	Miami Dolphins	[9][74]
2018	Michael Thomas	125	16	New Orleans Saints	[9][75]
2019	Michael Thomas (2)	149*	16	New Orleans Saints	[9][75]
2020	Stefon Diggs^	127	16	Buffalo Bills	[9][76]
2021	Cooper Kupp^	145	17	Los Angeles Rams	[9][77]
2022	Justin Jefferson^	128	17	Minnesota Vikings	[9][78]
2023	CeeDee Lamb^	135	17	Dallas Cowboys	[9][79]
2024	Ja'Marr Chase^	127	17	Cincinnati Bengals	[9][80]

AFL annual receptions leaders

Key

Symbol	Meaning
Leader	The player who recorded the most receptions in the AFL
Rec	The total number of receptions the player had
GP	The number of games played by a player during the season
†	Pro Football Hall of Fame member
*	Player set the single-season receptions record
(#)	Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list

AFL annual receptions leaders by season

Season	Leader	Rec	GP	Team	Refs
1960	Lionel Taylor	92*	12	Denver Broncos	[9][81]
1961	Lionel Taylor (2)	100*	14	Denver Broncos	[9][81]
1962	Lionel Taylor (3)	77	14	Denver Broncos	[9][81]
1963	Lionel Taylor (4)	78	14	Denver Broncos	[9][81]
1964	Charlie Hennigan	101*	14	Houston Oilers	[9][82]
1965	Lionel Taylor (5)	85	14	Denver Broncos	[9][81]
1966	Lance Alworth†	73	13	San Diego Chargers	[9][83]
1967	George Sauer	74	14	New York Jets	[9][84]
1968	Lance Alworth† (2)	68	14	San Diego Chargers	[9][83]
1969	Lance Alworth† (3)	64	14	San Diego Chargers	[9][83]

Most seasons leading the league

Count	Player	Seasons	Team	Refs
8	Don Hutson	1936, 1937, 1939, 1941–1945	Green Bay Packers	[9][15]
5	Lionel Taylor	1960–1963, 1965	Denver Broncos	[9][81]
3	Lance Alworth	1966, 1968, 1969	San Diego Chargers	[9][83]
	Raymond Berry	1958–1960	Baltimore Colts	[9][25]
	Tom Fears	1948–1950	Los Angeles Rams	[9][20]
	Pete Pihos	1953–1955	Philadelphia Eagles	[9][23]
	Sterling Sharpe	1989, 1992, 1993	Green Bay Packers	[9][51]
	Wes Welker	2007, 2009, 2011	New England Patriots	[9][68]
	Billy Wilson	1954, 1956, 1957	San Francisco 49ers	[9][24]

See also

• List of NFL career receptions leaders
• List of NFL annual receiving yards leaders
• List of NFL annual receiving touchdowns leaders

Notes

1. The NFL did not have a set number of games for teams to play until the 1935 season, instead setting a minimum.^[7]