Most Receptions in a Single NFL Season

Michael Thomas holds the NFL record for the most receptions in a single NFL season, catching 149 passes for the New Orleans Saints in 2019. Cooper Kupp ranks second with 145 receptions in 2021, and Marvin Harrison is third with 143 in 2002.

This regular-season leaderboard is updated through the 2025 NFL season. The tiers are determined strictly by reception totals—not by opinion, receiving yards, touchdowns or career legacy. Those other measures are used only to explain what made each season special. For the career version of this record, see the most receptions in NFL history.

Last reviewed: July 20, 2026.

Most Receptions in a Single Season: Key Facts

• NFL record: Michael Thomas, 149 receptions for the New Orleans Saints in 2019.
• Second all time: Cooper Kupp, 145 receptions for the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.
• Previous record: Marvin Harrison, 143 receptions for the Indianapolis Colts in 2002.
• 2025 leader: Puka Nacua, 129 receptions for the Los Angeles Rams.
• Tight end record: Trey McBride, 126 receptions for the Arizona Cardinals in 2025.

Top 10 NFL Single-Season Reception Leaders

Tied reception totals share the same rank, so the next rank is skipped.

How This Single-Season Receptions Ranking Works

This page ranks individual NFL regular-season receiving totals through the end of the 2025 season. Postseason catches are excluded. Each row represents one player-season, and tied reception totals share a rank.

Receptions alone determine placement. Yards, touchdowns, targets, catch rate, awards, team success and positional value provide context but never move a player above someone with more catches. The tier graphics highlight every season from 123 to 149 receptions, while the complete table extends through every season with at least 106 catches.

That distinction keeps this page objective. It is a record leaderboard, not a ranking of the greatest receivers or the best overall seasons. For a broader evaluation of peak, longevity and postseason impact, visit our best wide receivers of all time ranking.

Who Had the Most Impressive High-Volume Season?

Raw receptions answer the record question, but games and targets help compare seasons across different passing environments. The four landmark seasons below show why Thomas’ record is more than a product of volume.

The direct answer: Thomas still owns the strongest pure reception season. He set the record in a 16-game schedule, led this comparison in receptions per game and caught more than 80% of his targets. Kupp produced the best all-around statistical season of the group—adding 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns—but Thomas remains the reception king.

Schedule length does matter when comparing eras. A 17th game creates another opportunity to add catches, which is why per-game rate and games played belong beside the raw total. It does not invalidate modern records; it simply makes the comparison more complete. For the other major single-season receiving records, see the leaders in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Tier 1: 149+ Receptions

Tier 1 includes Michael Thomas with 149 receptions in 2019.

Michael Thomas — 149 Receptions in 2019

Season: 149 receptions, 1,725 yards, 9 touchdowns; AP Offensive Player of the Year; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

Thomas set the record while catching passes from both Drew Brees and Teddy Bridgewater. New Orleans repeatedly leaned on his timing, leverage, physical route running and hands, yet defenses could not remove him from the offense. His 149 catches came in 16 games, and his 9.3 receptions per game remain the defining rate among the record contenders.

Tier 2: 145+ Receptions

Tier 2 includes Cooper Kupp with 145 receptions in 2021.

Cooper Kupp — 145 Receptions in 2021

Season: 145 receptions, 1,947 yards, 16 touchdowns; receiving triple crown; AP Offensive Player of the Year; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

Kupp finished four catches short of Thomas but paired his volume with the second-highest receiving-yardage season ever and a league-leading 16 touchdowns. His option routes, deep crossers, red-zone work and command of leverage made him Matthew Stafford’s answer in every situation. Thomas owns the catch record; Kupp has the stronger case for the most complete season.

Tier 3: 140+ Receptions

Tier 3 includes Marvin Harrison with 143 receptions in 2002.

Marvin Harrison — 143 Receptions in 2002

Season: 143 receptions, 1,722 yards, 11 touchdowns; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

Harrison held the record for 17 years. His precision and timing with Peyton Manning produced 143 catches in a 16-game season, but this was not empty short-area volume: he also cleared 1,700 yards and scored 11 times. His 205 targets were the most among the four landmark seasons above, illustrating both Indianapolis’ reliance on him and the efficiency of Thomas’ later record.

Tier 4: 135+ Receptions

Tier 4 includes Antonio Brown, Julio Jones and CeeDee Lamb with 135+ receptions.

Two different versions of dominance produced the same 136-catch total in 2015. Julio Jones gained 37 more yards than Antonio Brown, while Brown scored two more touchdowns. CeeDee Lamb finished one catch behind them in 2023 and added the best touchdown total of the tier.

Antonio Brown — 136 Receptions in 2015

Season: 136 receptions, 1,834 yards, 10 touchdowns; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

Brown’s releases, route detail and ability to win at every depth made Pittsburgh’s passing game exceptionally hard to disrupt. His combination of 136 catches and more than 1,800 yards remains one of the great receiver peaks.

Julio Jones — 136 Receptions in 2015

Season: 136 receptions, 1,871 yards, 8 touchdowns; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

Jones tied Brown in catches and led this tier in yards. The lower touchdown total keeps the two seasons open to debate, but his explosive production shows that the receptions were creating far more than short gains.

CeeDee Lamb — 135 Receptions in 2023

Season: 135 receptions, 1,749 yards, 12 touchdowns; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

Lamb set a Cowboys franchise record and led this tier in touchdowns. His ability to move between the slot and outside let Dallas build its passing game through him without making his alignments predictable.

Tier 5: 130–134 Receptions

No player has finished an NFL regular season with 130 to 134 receptions through 2025.

This tier is intentionally empty. The leaderboard jumps from Brown and Puka Nacua at 129 receptions to Lamb at 135. The five-catch gap is a useful reminder of how rare it is to cross 130 in a season.

Tier 6: 126–129 Receptions

Tier 6 includes the player-seasons from 126 to 129 receptions.

Antonio Brown — 129 Receptions in 2014

Season: 129 receptions, 1,698 yards, 13 touchdowns; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

Brown’s first appearance on this page came one season before his 136-catch campaign. Back-to-back finishes near the top show that his peak was sustained, not a one-year target spike.

Puka Nacua — 129 Receptions in 2025

Season: 129 receptions, 1,715 yards, 10 touchdowns; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

Nacua tied Brown in catches but gained 17 more yards, while Brown scored three more touchdowns. Nacua also played only 16 games, averaging 8.1 receptions per game while leading the NFL in catches.

Justin Jefferson — 128 Receptions in 2022

Season: 128 receptions, 1,809 yards, 8 touchdowns; AP Offensive Player of the Year; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

Jefferson turned elite volume into the highest yardage total in this tier. His route running, body control and contested-catch ability allowed Minnesota to feed him even when coverage was designed to stop him.

Ja’Marr Chase — 127 Receptions in 2024

Season: 127 receptions, 1,708 yards, 17 touchdowns; receiving triple crown; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

Chase led the league in all three major receiving categories. His 17 touchdowns are the tier’s separator: this was not merely a possession season but one of the most productive scoring campaigns ever by a high-volume receiver.

Stefon Diggs — 127 Receptions in 2020

Season: 127 receptions, 1,535 yards, 8 touchdowns; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

Diggs tied Chase in catches and led the league in receptions and yards during his first Buffalo season. His separation and route precision helped transform the Bills into one of the NFL’s premier passing offenses.

Trey McBride — 126 Receptions in 2025

Season: 126 receptions, 1,239 yards, 11 touchdowns; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

McBride set the NFL single-season record for receptions by a tight end. Wide receivers dominate the overall table, which makes a tight end reaching 126 catches especially significant. See where his peak fits among the best tight ends of all time.

Tier 7: 123–125 Receptions

Tier 7 includes the player-seasons from 123 to 125 receptions.

Ja’Marr Chase — 125 Receptions in 2025

Season: 125 receptions, 1,412 yards, 8 touchdowns; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

Chase followed his 2024 triple crown with another 125 catches. He and Thomas are the only players represented twice within the top 17 rows of this leaderboard, underscoring how unusual their repeat volume was.

Michael Thomas — 125 Receptions in 2018

Season: 125 receptions, 1,405 yards, 9 touchdowns; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

Thomas reached rare volume before breaking the record. His 2018 season established the same possession dominance and quarterback trust that would carry him to 149 one year later.

Davante Adams — 123 Receptions in 2021

Season: 123 receptions, 1,553 yards, 11 touchdowns; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

Herman Moore — 123 Receptions in 1995

Season: 123 receptions, 1,686 yards, 14 touchdowns; First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl.

Wes Welker — 123 Receptions in 2009

Season: 123 receptions, 1,348 yards, 4 touchdowns; Pro Bowl.

The tied 123-catch seasons show how different the same reception total can look. Moore led the group by 133 yards over Adams and scored three more touchdowns. Adams combined strong yardage with 11 scores. Welker had the fewest yards and touchdowns, but his option-route work and chain-moving role helped redefine the value of a full-time slot receiver.

What the Complete Leaderboard Reveals

The full 101-row dataset tells a larger story than the seven graphics alone:

• Wes Welker appears five times, the most of any player in the table.
• Antonio Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown appear four times each.
• Marvin Harrison, Stefon Diggs, Davante Adams, Jerry Rice, Tyreek Hill, DeAndre Hopkins, Andre Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald each appear three times.
• The qualifying seasons span 1984 through 2025, showing how much more common extreme catch totals became in modern passing offenses.
• Detroit has eight qualifying player-seasons, the most by team in this dataset. Pittsburgh and Minnesota have seven each.
• The list is not limited to wide receivers and tight ends. Running backs Christian McCaffrey and Austin Ekeler also reached the 106-catch cutoff.

Repeat appearances can be as revealing as one record season. Welker’s five entries show sustained slot volume; Brown’s four capture an extraordinary peak; and Amon-Ra St. Brown’s four demonstrate how quickly modern high-percentage passing roles can accumulate historically significant totals. For longer-horizon context, compare the career leaders in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Complete Top 100 Single-Season Receptions Leaderboard

The table contains 101 player-seasons because ties share rank at the top-100 cutoff. It includes every player-season with at least 106 regular-season receptions through 2025. Receiving yards and touchdowns provide context but do not affect rank.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has the most receptions in a single NFL season?

Michael Thomas holds the record with 149 catches for the New Orleans Saints in 2019. He set the mark in a 16-game regular season.

Who held the single-season receptions record before Michael Thomas?

Marvin Harrison held the record with 143 receptions for the Indianapolis Colts in 2002. Thomas passed him in 2019.

Which tight end has the most receptions in one season?

Trey McBride holds the tight end record with 126 receptions for the Arizona Cardinals in 2025.

Does the 17-game schedule affect single-season reception comparisons?

Yes. A 17th game gives modern players another opportunity to add catches, so games played and receptions per game help with era comparisons. The official record still belongs to the player with the highest regular-season total, regardless of schedule length.

Data scope: Regular-season NFL statistics only. Postseason receptions are excluded. Ties share rank. Team names reflect the franchise the player represented during that season. The article was last reviewed on July 20, 2026.

The Single-Season Reception Record, in Context

Michael Thomas is the answer to the record question: 149 receptions in 2019. Cooper Kupp’s 145-catch triple-crown season has the strongest all-around case, while Marvin Harrison’s 143 catches remain even more impressive because they came in a 16-game 2002 season.

The record has meaning because it requires durability, separation, quarterback trust and week-to-week consistency. This leaderboard measures one specific achievement—catches in a regular season—and the schedule, target and production context explains how each historic total was built.

Related NFL Receiving Records and Rankings

• Most Receptions in NFL History
• Most Receiving Yards in a Single Season
• Most Receiving Touchdowns in a Single Season
• Most Receiving Yards in NFL History
• Most Receiving Touchdowns in NFL History
• Best Wide Receivers of All Time
• Best Tight Ends of All Time