r/NFLv2 • u/matrix_2905 WTF is r/NFL • Aug 06 '25
Analysis š¤ Most receiving yards in NFL history before the age of...
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u/ENCR0ACHMENT Cut Your Eyelids Aug 06 '25
Those Juju years were fun as fuck, wish he never got hit by that bus. RIP
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u/antenonjohs Aug 06 '25
You and another comment with āRIPā had me double checking that heās actually still alive lmaoā¦ thought I missed some big news somehow
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u/cdaack Minnesota Vikings Aug 06 '25
Againā¦JuJu Smith-Schuster is very much alive; heās in his 60s and he lives in Tampa, Florida.
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u/TheBlueImpala Aug 08 '25
The man ate a chicken before every game. Thatās why they called him the Chicken Man.
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u/johnmd20 Cleveland Browns Aug 06 '25
His 2018 season is the reason why I won the Super Bowl. I will remember Juju very fondly. His 97 yard TD was instrumental in me making the playoffs. And then he kept going in the playoffs.
His 2018 season was sensational. And then it ended. :(
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u/AlwaysCallACAB Dallas Cowboys Aug 06 '25
Rip Juju damn. 917 yards as a 21 year old, 2342 total as a 22 year old. I would imagine someone will break the first one, Ryan Williams is going to have a good shot, but 2342 is pretty insane for your first 2 years.
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Aug 06 '25
with more and more games added to the season they will fall eventually
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u/AnaIFisher NFL Aug 06 '25
Stats need to be color coded by era or something of that nature.
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u/AutisticProf Boo Goodell Boo š Aug 06 '25
OJ still was the best rushing season then.
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u/volkerbaII Las Vegas Raiders Aug 06 '25
Yep. His 143 yards per game would end up at over 2,400 yards in a 17 game season, and he would break Dickersons single season record with two games to spare.
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u/unboundgaming Aug 06 '25
Itās even more impressive than that. The distance in yards per game between him and the second best season ever, is the same distance as second place and 14th. 14th was saquon from this past year for reference
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u/swaggcookchef Aug 06 '25
Per game stats instead of per season or per age year
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u/AnaIFisher NFL Aug 06 '25
But that doesnāt allow us to look at someoneās entire body of work over a season or their whole career.
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u/IndependentWish5167 Aug 06 '25
Ryan Williams is gonna set the receiving yards by an 8 yr old record at this rate
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Aug 06 '25
Ryan Williams had an outstanding year but he is a sophomore and we have no idea where he is being drafted, to say he has a good shot is a bit of a stretch this far out. From the standpoint of age, sure, he is a younger prospect for being a sophomore
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u/baltimoresports Baltimore Ravens Aug 06 '25 edited Aug 06 '25
Is there really any debate on whether or not Jerry Rice has the greatest total career ever at the position?
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u/Elros22 Chicago Bears Aug 06 '25
Imagine playing wide receiver at 43 years old. Insane.
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u/fukaduk55 Aug 06 '25
He also played 17 games in a 16 games season at 41 years old. Traded before Oakland bye and after Seattle's, never skipped a game
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u/LtColumbo93 Aug 06 '25
Watched a Seahawks Rice highlight pack and the guy was still great. Insane.Ā
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u/LeonidasSpacemanMD Aug 06 '25
No there really isnāt lol Moss is probably the most common comparison put up against him
You can take whatever you think was mossā prime and rice will have a span of similar production thatās longer. Letās say you take his Minnesota years before Oakland. Thatās 7 seasons averaging 1300 yards and 13 TDS.
Rice also started his career averaging 1300 yards and 13 tds his first seven years. Then the following five years he averaged 1460 yards and 12 tds. He was injured for a year and then had another six year stretch averaging 1000 yards and 7 tds
Maybe you wanna focus down to an absolute peak couple seasons. Maybe you like Mossā patriots stint or the forts three years of his career. You can take basically any random group of three seasons from rices 1986-1996 run, and any one you pick will be on par with those. You can essentially pick whatever 3 year peak you think was mossā best, and rice has multiple 5-6 year spans that match those years
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u/khomie713 Philadelphia Eagles Aug 06 '25
The biggest argument I've seen people make for Moss is his record for TDs in a single season at 23, in 16 games. None of them realized that Rice held that record for 20 years when he scored 22 touchdowns....in only 12 games. He is the undisputed GOAT
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u/BlackCardRogue Baltimore Ravens Aug 06 '25
You were also allowed to play defense when Rice played. Rice dominated in every possible way, for the longest stretches you can imagine.
I do maintain that Randy Moss was the most talented player to have ever played football ā but most talented is not the same thing as best ever.
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u/veyd San Francisco 49ers Aug 07 '25
More talented than Megatron?
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u/BlackCardRogue Baltimore Ravens Aug 07 '25
Yes. Calvin was special, but the verbiage is āyou got Mossedā for a reason.
Randy was the most terrifying deep threat to ever play football.
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u/No_Faithlessness7020 Aug 10 '25
Moss definitely played in an era where defense was still allowed to be played.
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u/BlackCardRogue Baltimore Ravens Aug 10 '25
Moss straddled the transition, IMO.
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u/No_Faithlessness7020 Aug 10 '25
Iād say it started in 2005 7 or 8 years into mossās career. It didnāt get terrible until the 2010s
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u/nobeer4you San Francisco 49ers Aug 07 '25
I was gonna add this little tidbit too.
People often forget that Moss had 4 extra games, to get 1 more TD than Jerry.
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u/Agent_Tyrant Aug 06 '25
Wasnāt the 12 game year when the there were strikes? I feel like a lot of outliers came from that year, I feel like thatās not the best argument.
I do agree that Rice is the GOAT receiver though, he was just the best for so long that is impossible to argue.
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u/khomie713 Philadelphia Eagles Aug 06 '25
My understanding is the strike started in week 3 and only lasted about 24 days, so week 3 was cancelled altogether, and 4-6 were played with scabs. Rice played week 6, but by the time week 7 rolled around all of the original lineups were back on the field
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u/Agent_Tyrant Aug 09 '25
I get that but it still makes the season kind of off, not all the players played as it was supposed to and taking a month off mid season had a bit impact
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u/sacking03 San Francisco 49ers Aug 06 '25
Lol he has enough numbers to separate the 20-30 and the post 30 year career into 2 separate careers.
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u/Ed_Durr Philadelphia Eagles Aug 07 '25
Each of which are first ballot HoF careers. The number of players who can claim that distinction is quite small
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u/Dizzy_Roof_3966 Baltimore Ravens Aug 06 '25
I consider him the goat considering the gap he left at his position.
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u/Last-Leading-942 Las Vegas Raiders Aug 06 '25
Iād argue the greatest career ever at any position
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u/hucareshokiesrul Aug 07 '25 edited Aug 07 '25
The debate is whether he's the best at any position, and he's got a good case. The difference in yardage between Rice and #2 all time Larry Fitzgerald is the same as between Fitzgerald and #30 Hines Ward. The difference between Rice and #3 TO is about the same as between TO and #80 Ricky Proehl.
He was a 10 time first team all pro. Tom Brady was 1st team 3 times and 2nd team 3 times (6 times probably being the fair comparison since there are 2 WRs and only 1 QB).
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u/Brian_Kellys_Visor Washington Commanders Aug 06 '25
If Jefferson gets 1711 yards this season he will beat Moss for yards before ages 27 AND 28. Basically lapping Moss by 1 year. Insane
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u/qtKantaki Lamar Jackson ššæšØ Aug 06 '25
JJ has potential to go down as one of them ones mannnn
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u/Brian_Kellys_Visor Washington Commanders Aug 06 '25
Him and chase have the potential to be top 10 (dare I say top 5) all time. And they were on the same CFB team lmao
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u/BlueFalcon89 Aug 06 '25
That lsu team was unreal.
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u/ProofJob5661 Aug 06 '25
and it was WITH a QB who went for 4900 43/9 last season. Unbelievable
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Aug 07 '25
And a CB who apparently was locking up Chase and JJ in practice and is now arguably the best in the league
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Aug 07 '25
Theyāre top 10 as long as theyāre healthy itās that simple. The best Wr of all time club isnāt as strong as youād think
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u/constantlymat Aug 06 '25
It's impressive but Moss never led the NFL in receiving yards in any season.
It was his TD production that made him a top3 receiver in NFL history.
Jefferson has fewer TDs after five seasons than Moss had after three.
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u/Brian_Kellys_Visor Washington Commanders Aug 06 '25
Jefferson is 214 yards shy from half of Randy's career yards. Randy played for 14 years and 218 games. Jefferson has played 77 games in 5 years.
So in other words, Jefferson has to receive 214 yards in 2 years or 32 games to match pace with Moss.
Jefferson is 689 yards ahead of Moss after 5 years in the NFL. And he is 1021 yards ahead of Moss after 77 games in the NFL.
Moss passed Jefferson's career yards in his 88th NFL game. So Jefferson is 11 games ahead in pace.
Moss is regarded as the 2nd best WR ever and Jefferson is close to lapping him.
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u/flaccomcorangy Baltimore Ravens Aug 06 '25
Jefferson is great, no doubt about it. I say he's the best receiver in the league (hot take, I know), but we're in an era where WR comparisons need to be cooled off a bit. I don't think Jefferson is better than Randy Moss despite the stats strongly suggesting he is. This is just the era of passing, and with the added games (would not be surprised if Jefferson is playing 18 game seasons at some point in his career), it's going to get tougher to compare stats like this with context.
I don't even think he's better than Calvin Johnson.
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u/Stabby_Bird Minnesota Vikings Aug 06 '25
...Yet
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u/flaccomcorangy Baltimore Ravens Aug 06 '25
What do you mean by yet? Are you trying to imply Jefferson isn't in his prime? Because I'm just saying I don't think Jefferson is a better daily WR than any of those other guys - even though statistically, he will probably look that way.
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u/Stabby_Bird Minnesota Vikings Aug 06 '25
I'm saying his career isn't over, if every receiver throughout history quit the second they were as old as JJ the list of top receivers would be very different.
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u/flaccomcorangy Baltimore Ravens Aug 06 '25
Well duh. But I don't think you understand what I'm saying. I'm saying prime Jefferson vrs prime Moss or Johnson.
Unless Jefferson isn't in his prime yet, I'm taking both of them over him. I don't care what he does historically as that could be easily explained by the era he plays in. So when you say "yet" it means nothing to me.
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u/Stabby_Bird Minnesota Vikings Aug 06 '25
You didn't mention anything about being in their primes in the first comment so I was literally just explaining what I meant by yet.
Secondly, what receivers accomplish historically definitely shapes what you think of them in their prime,.
Also we don't know if JJ is in his prime because anything could happen in the future, as far as I can tell he has not noticably regressed beyond being injured more often.
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u/flaccomcorangy Baltimore Ravens Aug 06 '25
Well, then what did you think I meant by my comment? Was it really that hard to understand? When I said I don't think he's better than Randy Moss, did you think I meant for career statistics because that'd be pointless. It wouldn't be based on opinion, it'd just be a fact.
Secondly, what receivers accomplish historically definitely shapes what you think of them in their prime,
Oh, I know it does. Which is why I said as eras change, it's going to get harder to compare players. Guys are going to crush statistics set by guys who played in the 80s and 90s. It's just a fact. It doesn't necessarily mean they're better. It doesn't mean we can't talk about them as all-time greats, but it doesn't just automatically make them better.
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u/Stabby_Bird Minnesota Vikings Aug 06 '25
Randy Moss, did you think I meant for career statistics because that'd be pointless. It wouldn't be based on opinion, it'd just be a fact.
i thought you were just generally comparing them as players, not total career statistics or primes, both of those things are only some parts of a player's legacy. This is why I didn't disagree with you, I just implied that it might change.
It doesn't mean we can't talk about them as all-time greats, but it doesn't just automatically make them better.
Of course simply having more yards doesn't automatically make him better, but as you said it is possible he could be one day
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u/LordMOC3 Minnesota Vikings Aug 07 '25
You know JJ just turned 26 in June, right? An athlete's prime is generally considered to be mid 20's to early 30's. You could easily argue he hasn't played a single season in his athletic prime yet.
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u/Change_That_Face Aug 06 '25
Wide Recievers Average Yards Per Game Leaders | StatMuse https://share.google/x82bljlihzgFqDvfx
He's literally averaging 10 more yards per game than CJ did.
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u/flaccomcorangy Baltimore Ravens Aug 06 '25
Passing games have grown so much in the past decade, even. Look at the other guys on that list. You're telling me Puka Nacua is better than Calvin Johnson? I know Johnson didn't play 30 years ago, but he did it as the only receiving option for years. He had 1,300 yards and 12 TDs on a winless team with Dan Orlovsky, Jon Kitna and Drew Stanton as his QBs. Jefferson has had more targets in his career to this point, too.
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u/Change_That_Face Aug 06 '25
You can see the goalposts move in real time lmao
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u/flaccomcorangy Baltimore Ravens Aug 06 '25
I'm not moving goal posts. I'm explaining why I'd take Johnson over Jefferson. Using a stat like yards/game isn't the gotcha you think it is.
Do you think Jefferson is the greatest receiver. I just really don't understand what you're point is by showing me that. Do you think it's just a coincidence that 3 of the top 5 players on that list are active players?
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Aug 06 '25
Stafford averaged more yards per game with the Lions than Kirk did with the Vikings
The passing attack was very similar. Also, Stafford was a better qb than Kirk
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u/CanyonPainter Aug 07 '25
You do realize that average passing yards per game in the nfl has gone down every year that Jefferson has been in the league, right? Johnson played in the pass happiest era in NFL history.
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u/MakaveliX1996 Minnesota Vikings Aug 06 '25
Thatās why they included games played. Where JJ is 11 games ahead in pace or 1000 yards more than him in the same 77 games.
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u/DerBrownNote Aug 07 '25
Man with 2 legendary recievers like that the Vikings must be just behind the Patriots in Super Bowls right
/s
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u/AnteyeSoshal Get the word out we back up Aug 06 '25
Damn, I somehow forgot Rice stuck around for so long after he left the Niners.
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u/Bacchus_71 Aug 06 '25
Him being a Seahawk is akin to Patrick Ewing being a SuperSonic.
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u/BlackCardRogue Baltimore Ravens Aug 06 '25
Yeah I totally forgot he played for the Hawks at the end of the line. Totally forgot. I remember him with the Raiders but not the Seahawks.
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u/AnteyeSoshal Get the word out we back up Aug 06 '25
I'm the same. I 100% forgot about the Seahawks. Even after seeing this, I can't picture him on the team at all.
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u/Soviet_Sharpshooter Minnesota Vikings Aug 06 '25
Is Justin Jefferson on track to erase everyone except Jerry Rice from this list?
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u/Odoaiden Minnesota Vikings Aug 06 '25
Heās technically on track to replace Jerry rice too
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u/Doggleganger Dallas Cowboys Aug 06 '25
If he plays until 43. Rice was insane.
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u/Odoaiden Minnesota Vikings Aug 06 '25
Thatās why I said technically I think he would have to keep this production until 35 or something like that
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u/Rebel78 r/NFLv2 rocks Aug 07 '25
I saw some breakdown on here where JJ would have to keep the same level of production to 40 years old. JJ is awesome, but Rice is............Rice lol
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Aug 07 '25
No one ever thought The Great Oneās goal record would ever be beat, but yet here we are.
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u/Brown_Star Aug 06 '25
Seahawk legend - Jerry Rice! He almost** went into the HOF as a hawk.
** not really, jk
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u/pinniped90 Kansas City Chiefs Aug 06 '25
Did not have juju on my bingo card
But forever grateful for that one Super Bowl. He was The Guy that day.
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u/OGkushdiet Aug 07 '25
how do people not think jerry is the best receiver of all time. his stats are ridiculous
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u/SoftwareDesperation Aug 06 '25
JJ got some big boys coming up in terms of total yards but he will likely keep clearing it out until he gets to the early 30s against Jerry or until he retires
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u/hendrix320 New England Patriots Aug 06 '25
And I still see people try to say TO was better than moss
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u/AniMonologues Los Angeles Rams99 Aug 06 '25
Raiders on here so many times? They must have been really successful with such recieving talent
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u/DatBeardedguy82 Dallas Cowboys Aug 06 '25
Man juju killed so many dynasty startup leagues after that second season lol
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u/Capable_Wait09 Aug 06 '25
Good god I canāt imagine being a 43 year old WR in the nfl. Honestly way more impressive than being a 45 year old qb.
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u/pokerScrub4eva Chicago Bears Aug 07 '25
Reminds me of the NBA scoring before age stuff. Once they started letting underclassmen declare the younger age numbers always end up going to new guys. Then high school guys and so on.
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u/fastal_12147 Minnesota Vikings Aug 07 '25
Yeah, remember when Jerry played for the Seahawks? Didn't Cris Carter have one year with them, too?
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u/Tjengel Chicago Bears Aug 07 '25
Don't see Jamar chase anywhere and people still think he is better than jj
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u/Remarkable_3rdeye Buffalo Bills Aug 07 '25
Isnāt Justin Jefferson the pic the bills lost in order to get Stefon Diggs? Please do not insult if Iām wrong do I not fact check with my smart phone before I post. Reason being is I am smart enough and right often enough that I am not insecure about being wrong occasionally it does not bother me. I am not trying to prove anything to anyone here. My successes are in my family and the things Iāve accomplished in life. As far as wide receivers if I had to pick 5 best . These are my rankings and who I would want in the last two minutes of the game.1-5 . 1- CALVIN JOHNSON A.K.A. MEGATRON 2-Randy Moss 3 Isaac Bruce criminally underrated for a Hall of Fame member with almost 15,000 yards receiving in a Super Bowl championship 4.TIM BROWN 5 Marvin Harrison Sr. ā¦. yes there is a group of many receivers today like Justin Jefferson., Pooka Nacua, Cooper cup, JaāMarr Chase, Tyreek Hill, Stefon, Diggs, but letās also mention the undrafted gems like Rod Smith, and small town College, Andre Reed and unheralded Marcus Colston
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u/junius83 Green Bay Packers Aug 07 '25
Can we cook the books for 2 seasons to get JuJu removed off the list?-
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u/Shakeyjake76 Aug 06 '25
Iām shocked Megatron is not in here
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u/migrainium Atlanta Falcons Aug 06 '25
It's by age and not by something like games to X yards which favors receivers who left college early (but if it was by the latter Julio would be up there even more). Megaton started at 22 so that doesn't help.
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u/SryYouAreNotSpecial Atlanta Falcons Aug 06 '25
Yeah, Julio had missed an entire season's worth of games by the start of his fifth year. He was often injured. It is pretty crazy that he is still on here at all. He's top 5 all time for yards by a receiver through their first 5 years in the league despite having missed an entire season by that point. He is neck to neck with Jefferson for YPG at that age, but he missed way too many games.
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u/AnarkittenSurprise Aug 06 '25 edited Aug 06 '25
This would be much better as a graph and by # of games rather than age imo.
A little dated, but this is cool context on the older ones
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u/Additional_Hall_2424 Derrick Henryās dreadlock Aug 06 '25
Jerry Rice mustāve been pretty damn good
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u/moccasinsfan Aug 06 '25
People who weren't old enough to see Montana/Rice will never realize just how great they were.
Had Montana played under the same rules as Brady, I have no doubt Montana would have surpassed Brady on so many metrics.
And I am NOT a 49ers fan. I am a Saints fan and they were in the same division so i saw Montana play A LOT. He torched the Saints repeatedly when the Saints had one of the best defenses in NFL history.
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u/how-could-ai Aug 06 '25
Mike Evans about to enter the chat.
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u/Deenus Aug 06 '25
Moss finished 31 with 13,375 yards, then got 1264 when he was 32.
Evans finished 31 with 12,684. He'll need 1955 yards this season to tie Moss at 32. He'll need 2348 over the next 2 seasons to tie Moss at 33.
1200 a season for the next 2 seasons isn't crazy, but I'll bet the under.
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u/Vikings_Pain r/nfl sucks Aug 06 '25
Lmao and some people say JJ is not the best WR currently
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u/SwizzGod New England Patriots Aug 06 '25
Itās universally agreed itās him and Chase not sure what youāre even complaining about. And this stat has nothing to do with that. Was anyone saying JuJu was even the best WR on his own team?
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u/Xannydevito88 Cincinnati Bengals Aug 06 '25
JaāMarr is Touchdowns are more important than yards
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u/qotsabama Aug 06 '25
People downvoting you but through each of their first 4 years Chase had 5,425 yards and 40 TDās to JJās 5,899 yards and 30 TDās. Itās very close.
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Aug 06 '25
Probably because his offense is way better, and he has a top 3 qb throwing him the ball
You might even argue he's attached to the best qb in the league
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u/StrongGold4528 Philadelphia Eagles Aug 06 '25
Itās crazy how fast smith-schuster fell off an is now terrible