Fansided

20 best wide receiver seasons in NFL history

By Russell S. Baxter

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)
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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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 13: Cooper Kupp #10 of the Los Angeles Rams completes a pass for a touchdown against Eli Apple #20 of the Cincinnati Bengals during the NFL Super Bowl 56 football game at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. The Rams won 23-20. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 13: Cooper Kupp #10 of the Los Angeles Rams completes a pass for a touchdown against Eli Apple #20 of the Cincinnati Bengals during the NFL Super Bowl 56 football game at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. The Rams won 23-20. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) /

1. Cooper Kupp, Rams (2021)

There may be a cry of recency bias here, but it’s hard to ignore what an incredible impact wide receiver Cooper Kupp had in one season for Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams. The 2017 third-round pick from Eastern Washington put up solid numbers in his first four NFL campaigns. He totaled a combined 288 receptions for 3,570 yards and 24 scores in 54 regular-season contests.

Who could have predicted the year he would have in 2021. Kupp played at started all 17 regular-season contests. He led the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and touchdown catches (16). He was a Pro Bowler, an All-Pro and the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. That catch number and yardage total are the second-highest single-season totals in NFL history.

But wait, there’s more. McVay’s team would win the NFC West with a 12-5 record and embark on a four-game postseason trek. Kupp scored at least one touchdown in the wins over the Cardinals, Buccaneers, 49ers and Bengals. He amassed a combined 33 catches for 478 yards and six TDs.

He helped rescue the Rams in the divisional playoffs at Tampa Bay with two huge catches in the final minute to set up a game-winning field goal. He caught both of Matthew Stafford’s touchdown passes in the NFC title game victory over the Niners. He hauled in eight passes for 92 yards and two TDs, the second with 1:25 to play, in the 23-20 Super Bowl LVI win over Cincinnati. On a fourth-down play, he ran seven yards to keep the game-winning drive alive and finished the afternoon as the Super Bowl MVP.

When you consider what Kupp did during the regular season and the Rams’ four-game postseason run to an NFL title, he makes for a solid choice for the top of this list.

Next. Biggest what-if in each NFL team’s history. dark

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