Players in NFL history with most receiving yards 2023
In American Football terms, receiving yards refers to the number of yards gained by a receiver on a passing play – this not only includes the length of the pass, but also the additional yards that the player was able to run once he was in possession of the ball. Jerry Rice is the only player in NFL history with more than 20,000 receiving yards – the wide receiver racked up 22,895 receiving yards in a career spanning from 1985 to 2004.
Jerry Rice – NFL legend
With an unrivalled number of receiving yards to his name, it is no wonder that Jerry Rice is considered a legend of the game. Widely lauded as the best wide receiver in history, the Mississippi native was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Rice spent the majority of his career in San Francisco, plying his trade for the 49ers. Unsurprisingly, he is the runaway leader for all time receiving yards for the franchise with 19,247 yards. No other player for the 49ers has managed to break the 10,000-yard barrier. Having been on the receiving end of so many successful passes, Jerry Rice also leads the way in number of touchdowns for the 49ers – he scored 187 times for the San Francisco team, more than twice that of his closest rival, Terrell Owens.
Leading quarterbacks
Behind every great wide receiver is a great quarterback because without a perfect throw, the pass would never be completed. Tom Brady, who has been plying his trade as a quarterback in the NFL since 2001, currently leads the way with the most passing yards in NFL history – he has passed a combined total of over 80 thousand yards, beating stiff competition from other legendary quarterbacks including Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Drew Brees. The skill and level of performance of these modern-day quarterbacks can be seen in the fact that the average completed passing yards per game stands at 234 yards – between 1950 and 1959, this figure stood at just 167 yards.
Jerry Rice – NFL legend
With an unrivalled number of receiving yards to his name, it is no wonder that Jerry Rice is considered a legend of the game. Widely lauded as the best wide receiver in history, the Mississippi native was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Rice spent the majority of his career in San Francisco, plying his trade for the 49ers. Unsurprisingly, he is the runaway leader for all time receiving yards for the franchise with 19,247 yards. No other player for the 49ers has managed to break the 10,000-yard barrier. Having been on the receiving end of so many successful passes, Jerry Rice also leads the way in number of touchdowns for the 49ers – he scored 187 times for the San Francisco team, more than twice that of his closest rival, Terrell Owens.
Leading quarterbacks
Behind every great wide receiver is a great quarterback because without a perfect throw, the pass would never be completed. Tom Brady, who has been plying his trade as a quarterback in the NFL since 2001, currently leads the way with the most passing yards in NFL history – he has passed a combined total of over 80 thousand yards, beating stiff competition from other legendary quarterbacks including Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Drew Brees. The skill and level of performance of these modern-day quarterbacks can be seen in the fact that the average completed passing yards per game stands at 234 yards – between 1950 and 1959, this figure stood at just 167 yards.
