20 best wide receiver seasons in NFL history

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 28: Jerry Rice #80 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates with teammates after he scored a touchdown against the Denver Broncos during Super Bowl XXIV on January 28, 1990 at the Super Dome in New Orleans, LA. The 49ers won the Super Bowl 55-10. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

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MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 20: Wide receiver Jerry Rice #80 of the San Francisco 49ers races upfield against the Miami Dolphins at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida on November 20, 1995. The 49ers defeated the Dolphins 44-20. (Photo by Joseph Patronite/Getty Images)

19. Jerry Rice, 49ers (1995)

Not surprisingly, this is the first of four appearances on this list for the legendary wideout and Pro Football Hall of Famer.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young enjoyed a banner season in 1994, leading the franchise to its fifth Super Bowl title (XXIX). Once again, wide receiver Jerry Rice played a large part in the club earning another Lombardi Trophy.

In 1995, the Niners were looking to repeat as NFL champions, something they managed to do in 1988 (XXIII) and 1989 (XXIV). Rice put on quite the show throughout the season, totaling a career-best 122 catches for a league-high 1,848 yards and 15 touchdowns. The star wideout caught at least one scoring pass in 10-of-16 contests.

Additionally, he not only ran for one score and recovered a fumble for a TD but threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to teammate J.J. Stokes in a season-ending loss at Atlanta.

The 49ers finished 11-5 and were the NFC’s second-seed come playoff time. George Seifert’s club was surprised by the Green Bay Packers in the divisional playoffs, 27-17, at San Francisco. In the 10-point setback, Rice caught 11 passes for 117 yards but did not reach the end zone. That regular-season yardage total still ranks fourth in NFL history.

Next: No. 18

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