Most Receiving Yards by Position in the NFL

With the conclusion of the 2022-2023 NFL season, I have struggled to develop something to write about. While yes, the XFL is now in full swing, I haven't watched any of the games, and we are only two weeks into that season anyways. I had been scrolling through sports media pages and finally came across a stat that blew my mind. The stat in question receives the most yards after turning 40. From this stat line, there are only three players on this list at all, Jerry Rice (2,169 yards), Tom Brady (6 yards), and Brett Favre (-2 yards). This got me thinking, "I wonder how many receiving yards each position has individually from the beginning of the NFL (1920) to current?" Thinking of this question, and with the help of the magical sports statistics website Statmuse, I present all of you the Most Receiving Yards by Position in the NFL. (Upon further notice, Statmuse has season-level data only going back to the 1932 season, so we are technically going from 1932 to the current).

We have the wide receiver position leading the pack, known for catching the ball. The wide receivers have 4,034,215 receiving yards on 281,489 receptions, averaging 14.3 yards per catch for 25,779 receiving touchdowns. The wide receivers receiving yards, receptions, and touchdowns all blow every other position out of the water quickly. The all-time leader in receiving yards by a wide receiver goes to Jerry Rice, who had 22,895 receiving yards on 1,549 receptions, giving an average of 14.8 yards per catch for 197 receiving touchdowns. Jerry Rice played 20 seasons for the 49ers, Raiders, and Seahawks. He was selected to play in 13 Pro Bowls. He won 2 Offensive Player of the Year awards, 1 Super Bowl MVP, and three championships. Finally, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

Next up, a position you all probably expected, the running back. A position you usually only think of running with the ball, but over the past decade, it has become more versatile at catching the ball. A great example is longtime Carolina Panther, now San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. Fullbacks are included in the running backs category. The running backs have 1,448,072 receiving yards on 162,221 receptions, averaging 8.9 yards per catch for 7,122 receiving touchdowns. The all-time leader in receiving yards by a running back goes to Marshall Faulk, who had 6,875 receiving yards on 767 receptions, giving an average of 9 yards per catch for 36 receiving touchdowns. A huge drop off from Jerry Rice's receiving stats! Marshall Faulk played 12 seasons for the Rams and Colts. He was selected to play in 7 Pro Bowls. He won 3 Offensive Player of the Year awards, the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, 1 MVP award, and one championship. Finally, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

Following the running backs, the tight end is another position you probably expected. A position that initially hadn't been used much due to the ability to help block, tight ends have significantly increased their standings over the years. They could very easily pass the running backs for second place on this list, I think, within the next 20 years. The tight ends have 1,104,198 receiving yards on 95,194 receptions, averaging 11.6 yards per catch for 8,284 receiving touchdowns. The all-time leader in receiving yards by a tight end goes to only Tony Gonzalez, who had 15,127 yards on 1,325 receptions, giving an average of 11.4 yards per catch for 111 receiving touchdowns. A step up from the maximum stats from the running backs leader Marshall Faulk! Tony Gonzalez played 17 seasons for the Chiefs and Falcons. He was selected to play in 14 Pro Bowls. Finally, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.

Fourth on our list, in a position that surprised me, have the defensive backs. Being the position that lines up directly across from the wide receivers, it makes sense since they would also be up there on our list. Starting with the defensive backs, we also have a massive drop-off in receiving yards out of the big three (wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends). The defensive backs have 14,685 receiving yards on 988 receptions, averaging 14.9 yards per catch for 88 receiving touchdowns. The all-time leader in receiving yards by a defensive back goes to the goat of all defensive backs Deion Sanders, who had 784 yards on 60 receptions, giving an average of 13.1 yards per catch for a total of 3 receiving touchdowns. Deion Sanders played 14 seasons for five teams, most notably with the Cowboys and Falcons. He was selected to play in 8 Pro Bowls. He won 1 Defensive Player of the Year award and two championships. Finally, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

Fifth on our list is the quarterback position you expected to be in fourth. Known for being the ones who throw the ball and not catch it, I find it funny that there is a decent stat for the quarterbacks in capturing the ball. The quarterbacks have 5,929 receiving yards on 661 receptions, averaging 9 yards per catch, for 73 receiving touchdowns. The all-time leader in receiving yards by a quarterback goes to a man who barely edges out Taysom Hill and others. The only one, Dick Poillon, had 364 receiving yards on 27 receptions, averaging 13.5 yards per catch for four receiving touchdowns. Dick Poillon played five seasons for the Washington {REDACTED}, now Commanders, throughout the 1940s.

Coming in at the number six spot on our list, we give some love to our big boys in the defensive trenches, the defensive linemen! Known for causing havoc to the quarterbacks throwing the ball, the defensive linemen have about half the stats that the quarterbacks do. The defensive linemen have 3,516 receiving yards on 264 receptions, averaging 13.3 yards per catch for 50 receiving touchdowns. The all-time leader in receiving yards by a defensive lineman goes to Bob Shaw, who had 535 receiving yards on 29 receptions, giving an average of 18.4 yards per catch for six receiving touchdowns. Bob Shaw played four seasons for the Rams and Cardinals in the late 1940s to early 1950s. Finally, he was selected to play in 1 Pro Bowls.

Finally, at the number seven spot on our list, probably our favorite position to talk about in football is the punter. I had expected them to come in dead last likely, so I was happy to see that the punters have somewhat 'received' some love. Ha, see what I did there? We love punters here at B-Card Entertainment. The punters have 2,810 receiving yards on 215 receptions, averaging 13.1 yards per catch for 18 receiving touchdowns. The all-time leader in receiving yards by a punter goes to the absolute stud and greatest receiving punter of all-time, Pat McInally, who had 808 receiving yards on 57 receptions, giving an average of 14.2 yards per catch, for a total of 5 receiving touchdowns. Pat McInally played ten seasons for the Bengals throughout the mid-1970s and 1980s. He had an average of 41.9 yards per punt and was selected to play in 1 Pro Bowls, as he deserves!

The number eight spot on our list goes to the other big boys in the trenches, the ones protecting the quarterbacks throwing the ball, the offensive linemen. The offensive linemen have 2,254 receiving yards on 388 receptions, averaging 5.8 yards per catch for 94 receiving touchdowns! The offensive linemen might have terrible yards per catch, but the amount of receiving touchdowns puts them fourth overall in the total number of touchdown catches! The all-time leader in receiving yards by an offensive lineman goes to George Connor, who had 89 receiving yards on five receptions, giving an average of 17.8 yards per catch for a total of 0 receiving touchdowns. I was surprised to see he had no receiving touchdowns, sadly. George Connor played eight seasons for the Bears from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s. He was selected to play in 4 Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975.

The number nine spot is taken by the last defensive position we haven't covered yet. Yes, that's right, it's the linebackers. I was surprised that the linebackers didn't have more receiving yards than the defensive linemen because I guess I always see the linebackers with the ball in their hands more than the defensive linemen. The linebackers have 1,586 receiving yards on 157 receptions, averaging 10.1 yards per catch, for 27 receiving touchdowns. The all-time leader in receiving yards by a linebacker barely goes to Marlin McKeever, who had 152 yards on 11 receptions, giving an average of 13.8 yards per catch for a total of 0 receiving touchdowns. First off, that is a football player's name. Secondly, he only ended up being in first for the linebackers by only 4 yards, the slimmest margin we have had for the amount of receiving yards between the first and second-place players out of all the positions. Marlin McKeever played 13 seasons for four teams, most notably for the Rams and Washington {REDACTED}, now Commanders from the early 1960s to the early 1970s. Funny enough, he played all those seasons but didn't record a tackle. Even funnier, he was selected to play in 1 Pro Bowls somehow. My guess is most likely an exceptional team player, but who knows?

Last but certainly not least, coming in at number ten on our list here, we have the kickers. I was spot on when I started who would have the least amount of receiving yards if it was the punters (who surprised me earlier) or the kickers, and it ended up being the latter. The kickers have 1,331 receiving yards on 101 receptions, averaging 13.2 yards per catch for 12 receiving touchdowns. The all-time leader in receiving yards by a kicker goes to Fred Cone, who had 225 receiving yards on 13 receptions, giving an average of 17.3 yards per catch for two receiving touchdowns. Fred Cone played eight seasons for the Packers and Cowboys from the early 1950s to the 1960s.

I found all the information in this article! I wish I had introduced you to some NFL players you already knew about or some new ones you can research! Next, I will do "Most Rushing Yards by Position in the NFL." Have a great rest of your day!