Best 2nd seasons in NFL history
Who had the best 2nd season in NFL history?
Patrick Mahomes holds the best 2nd season in passing yards: 5,097 in 2018, and Patrick Mahomes in 2018 in passing touchdowns (50).
Passing yards
| # | Player | Season | YDS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Mahomes | 2018 | 5,097 |
| 2 | Dan Marino | 1984 | 5,084 |
| 3 | Justin Herbert | 2021 | 5,014 |
| 4 | Joe Burrow | 2021 | 4,611 |
| 5 | Drew Bledsoe | 1994 | 4,555 |
| 6 | Blake Bortles | 2015 | 4,428 |
| 7 | Drake Maye | 2025 | 4,394 |
| 8 | Kurt Warner | 1999 | 4,353 |
| 9 | Brock Purdy | 2023 | 4,280 |
| 10 | Jeff Garcia | 2000 | 4,278 |
Passing touchdowns
| # | Player | Season | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Mahomes | 2018 | 50 |
| 2 | Dan Marino | 1984 | 48 |
| 3 | Kurt Warner | 1999 | 41 |
| 4 | Justin Herbert | 2021 | 38 |
| 5 | Lamar Jackson | 2019 | 36 |
| 6 | Blake Bortles | 2015 | 35 |
| 7 | Joe Burrow | 2021 | 34 |
| 8 | Carson Wentz | 2017 | 33 |
| 9 | Daunte Culpepper | 2000 | 33 |
| 10 | Carson Palmer | 2005 | 32 |
Rushing yards
| # | Player | Season | YDS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eric Dickerson | 1984 | 2,105 |
| 2 | Chris Johnson | 2009 | 2,006 |
| 3 | Jonathan Taylor | 2021 | 1,811 |
| 4 | Adrian Peterson | 2008 | 1,760 |
| 5 | Edgerrin James | 2000 | 1,709 |
| 6 | Frank Gore | 2006 | 1,695 |
| 7 | LaDainian Tomlinson | 2002 | 1,683 |
| 8 | Arian Foster | 2010 | 1,616 |
| 9 | Clinton Portis | 2003 | 1,591 |
| 10 | Emmitt Smith | 1991 | 1,563 |
Rushing touchdowns
| # | Player | Season | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonathan Taylor | 2021 | 18 |
| 2 | Arian Foster | 2010 | 16 |
| 3 | David Johnson | 2016 | 16 |
| 4 | Jahmyr Gibbs | 2024 | 16 |
| 5 | Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar | 1997 | 15 |
| 6 | Alvin Kamara | 2018 | 14 |
| 7 | Bijan Robinson | 2024 | 14 |
| 8 | Chris Johnson | 2009 | 14 |
| 9 | Cleveland Everett Gary | 1990 | 14 |
| 10 | Clinton Portis | 2003 | 14 |
Receiving yards
| # | Player | Season | YDS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaac Bruce | 1995 | 1,781 |
| 2 | Josh Gordon | 2013 | 1,646 |
| 3 | Torry Holt | 2000 | 1,635 |
| 4 | Justin Jefferson | 2021 | 1,616 |
| 5 | Jerry Rice | 1986 | 1,570 |
| 6 | Odell Beckham Jr. | 2015 | 1,450 |
| 7 | JuJu Smith-Schuster | 2018 | 1,426 |
| 8 | Sterling Sharpe | 1989 | 1,423 |
| 9 | Alshon Jeffery | 2013 | 1,421 |
| 10 | Randy Moss | 1999 | 1,413 |
Receptions
| # | Player | Season | REC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaac Bruce | 1995 | 119 |
| 2 | JuJu Smith-Schuster | 2018 | 111 |
| 3 | Justin Jefferson | 2021 | 108 |
| 4 | Christian McCaffrey | 2018 | 107 |
| 5 | Amon-Ra St. Brown | 2022 | 106 |
| 6 | Michael Thomas | 2017 | 104 |
| 7 | Larry Fitzgerald | 2005 | 103 |
| 8 | Brandon Marshall | 2007 | 102 |
| 9 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 2024 | 100 |
| 10 | Jimmy Graham | 2011 | 99 |
Sacks
| # | Player | Season | SACK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | J.J. Watt | 2012 | 20.5 |
| 2 | Derrick Thomas | 1990 | 20.0 |
| 3 | Aldon Smith | 2012 | 19.5 |
| 4 | Andre Tippett | 1984 | 18.5 |
| 5 | Von Miller | 2012 | 18.5 |
| 6 | Reggie White | 1986 | 18.0 |
| 7 | Richard Dent | 1984 | 17.5 |
| 8 | Shawne Merriman | 2006 | 17.0 |
| 9 | Jason Pierre-Paul | 2011 | 16.5 |
| 10 | Vic Beasley | 2016 | 15.5 |
Tackles
| # | Player | Season | TOT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordyn Brooks | 2021 | 184 |
| 2 | Ray Lewis | 1997 | 183 |
| 3 | Nick Bolton | 2022 | 180 |
| 4 | Vontaze Burfict | 2013 | 171 |
| 5 | Jonathan Vilma | 2005 | 169 |
| 6 | Cedric Gray | 2025 | 164 |
| 7 | Mike Peterson | 2000 | 159 |
| 8 | Luke Kuechly | 2013 | 156 |
| 9 | Pat Angerer | 2011 | 148 |
| 10 | Daiyan Henley | 2024 | 147 |
Regular season only, counting stats only. A season is numbered from the first season on file for that player, so a career that began before the league’s rows start is numbered from where the data does. NFL all-time records