The numbers being put up by NFL wide receivers these days are astonishing. There have been some amazing performances throughout football history.
There may be no deeper position in the NFL these days than wide receiver. Players come out of college wind up being immediate impact performers. It’s worth noting that the last 2 NFL Offensive Rookies of the Year were wideouts Ja’Marr Chase (2021) and Garrett Wilson (2022) of the Bengals and Jets, respectively.
Three of the past four seasons has seen a wide receiver garner NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors. There was the Saints’ Michael Thomas in 2019, the Rams’ Cooper Kupp in 2021 and Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson this past season.
There are several outstanding performances that just missed the list, including the Raiders’ Art Powell in 1963, the Chargers’ Lance Alworth in 1965, San Francisco’s Terrell Owens in 2002, as well as Jefferson’s magnificent showing with the Vikings in 2022.
As far as this list, postseason performance plays a bit of a part in these rankings, as was the case with quarterbacks and running backs.
Greatest wide-receiver seasons in NFL history: 20. Charley Hennigan, Oilers (1961)
A quick reminder. With the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, part of the agreement was that American Football League statistics and records would be recognized by the National Football League.
It was just the second season of the newly-formed American Football League. The defending champion Houston Oilers won the Eastern Division with a 10-3-1 mark in 1960. Led by head coaches Lou Rymkus (fired after 4 games) and eventually Wally Lemm, the team scored an incredible 513 points in 14 contests.
Quarterbacks George Blanda (36) and Jacky Lee (12) combined for 48 TD passes in 1961, with more than half going to receivers Bill Groman (17) and Charley Hennigan (12). The latter totaled 82 receptions for an astounding 1,746 yards, averaging an amazing 124.7 receiving yards per contest.
That same season, Denver Broncos’ standout Lionel Taylor became the first player to catch 100 passes in a season. However, Hennigan’s overwhelming yardage total in 1961 still ranks eighth in league annals.
Next: No. 19