10 NFL records with a good chance to fall in 2020
By Matt Conner
Most Receiving Yards in a Player’s First 5 Years
Last season Michael Thomas was the most dominant wide receiver in the NFL with a league-leading 149 receptions for a league-leading 1,725 receiving yards. But what you might not realize is that he’s been on a historic tear that goes back to his rookie year that has him on track to set the league record for most receiving yards through his first five NFL seasons.
Currently, NFL legend Torry Holt owns the record with 6,784 receiving yards through his first five seasons with the St. Louis Rams. Randy Moss is second with 6,743. Thomas is No. 16 on the list with 5,512 yards through a player’s first five years in the league, however he’s only played four season with the Saints.
Thomas’s run with Drew Brees as his quarterback and Sean Payton as his head coach has given him a unparalleled head start among his receiving peers in NFL history and it could lead to Hall of Fame-level production when all is said and done. His single lowest receiving totals came during his rookie year whe he still put up 92 catches for 1,137 yards and 9 touchdowns. Even with the addition of Emmanuel Sanders to the offense, Thomas is still going to garner plenty of targets and they should equal enough yards to set a new high mark for production through the first half-decade of a player’s career.