Best 3rd seasons in NFL history
Who had the best 3rd season in NFL history?
Matthew Stafford holds the best 3rd season in passing yards: 5,038 in 2011, and Matthew Stafford in 2011 in passing touchdowns (41).
Passing yards
| # | Player | Season | YDS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Stafford | 2011 | 5,038 |
| 2 | Andrew Luck | 2014 | 4,761 |
| 3 | Justin Herbert | 2022 | 4,739 |
| 4 | Jared Goff | 2018 | 4,688 |
| 5 | Josh Allen | 2020 | 4,544 |
| 6 | Jay Cutler | 2008 | 4,526 |
| 7 | Joe Burrow | 2022 | 4,475 |
| 8 | Peyton Manning | 2000 | 4,413 |
| 9 | Mark Brunell | 1996 | 4,367 |
| 10 | Don Majkowski | 1989 | 4,318 |
Passing touchdowns
| # | Player | Season | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Stafford | 2011 | 41 |
| 2 | Andrew Luck | 2014 | 40 |
| 3 | Josh Allen | 2020 | 37 |
| 4 | Tony Romo | 2007 | 36 |
| 5 | Joe Burrow | 2022 | 35 |
| 6 | Peyton Manning | 2000 | 33 |
| 7 | Jared Goff | 2018 | 32 |
| 8 | Jeff Garcia | 2001 | 32 |
| 9 | Jordan Love | 2023 | 32 |
| 10 | Jim Everett | 1988 | 31 |
Rushing yards
| # | Player | Season | YDS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamal Lewis | 2003 | 2,066 |
| 2 | Larry Johnson | 2005 | 1,750 |
| 3 | Terrell Davis | 1997 | 1,750 |
| 4 | Emmitt Smith | 1992 | 1,713 |
| 5 | Barry Foster | 1992 | 1,690 |
| 6 | LaDainian Tomlinson | 2003 | 1,645 |
| 7 | Deuce McAllister | 2003 | 1,641 |
| 8 | Barry Sanders | 1991 | 1,548 |
| 9 | Steven Jackson | 2006 | 1,528 |
| 10 | DeAngelo Williams | 2008 | 1,515 |
Rushing touchdowns
| # | Player | Season | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Larry Johnson | 2005 | 20 |
| 2 | Adrian Peterson | 2009 | 18 |
| 3 | DeAngelo Williams | 2008 | 18 |
| 4 | Emmitt Smith | 1992 | 18 |
| 5 | LeSean McCoy | 2011 | 17 |
| 6 | Aaron Jones Sr. | 2019 | 16 |
| 7 | Barry Sanders | 1991 | 16 |
| 8 | James Cook III | 2024 | 16 |
| 9 | Shaun Alexander | 2002 | 16 |
| 10 | Christian McCaffrey | 2019 | 15 |
Receiving yards
| # | Player | Season | YDS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Jefferson | 2022 | 1,809 |
| 2 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 2025 | 1,793 |
| 3 | Puka Nacua | 2025 | 1,715 |
| 4 | David Boston | 2001 | 1,598 |
| 5 | DeAndre Hopkins | 2015 | 1,521 |
| 6 | Amon-Ra St. Brown | 2023 | 1,515 |
| 7 | Tyreek Hill | 2018 | 1,479 |
| 8 | Randy Moss | 2000 | 1,437 |
| 9 | Demaryius Thomas | 2012 | 1,434 |
| 10 | Mark Carrier | 1989 | 1,422 |
Receptions
| # | Player | Season | REC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Puka Nacua | 2025 | 129 |
| 2 | Justin Jefferson | 2022 | 128 |
| 3 | Michael Thomas | 2018 | 125 |
| 4 | Amon-Ra St. Brown | 2023 | 119 |
| 5 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 2025 | 119 |
| 6 | Christian McCaffrey | 2019 | 116 |
| 7 | DeAndre Hopkins | 2015 | 111 |
| 8 | Trey McBride | 2024 | 111 |
| 9 | CeeDee Lamb | 2022 | 107 |
| 10 | Diontae Johnson | 2021 | 107 |
Sacks
| # | Player | Season | SACK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reggie White | 1987 | 21.0 |
| 2 | Robert Quinn | 2013 | 19.0 |
| 3 | Richard Dent | 1985 | 17.0 |
| 4 | Andre Tippett | 1985 | 16.5 |
| 5 | Kevin Greene | 1988 | 16.5 |
| 6 | Dwight Freeney | 2004 | 16.0 |
| 7 | Chris Jones | 2018 | 15.5 |
| 8 | Leonard Marshall | 1985 | 15.5 |
| 9 | Nick Bosa | 2021 | 15.5 |
| 10 | Sean Jones | 1986 | 15.5 |
Tackles
| # | Player | Season | TOT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Campbell | 2025 | 176 |
| 2 | Jerod Mayo | 2010 | 175 |
| 3 | Jordyn Brooks | 2022 | 161 |
| 4 | D'Qwell Jackson | 2008 | 154 |
| 5 | Luke Kuechly | 2014 | 153 |
| 6 | Patrick Willis | 2009 | 152 |
| 7 | Brian Urlacher | 2002 | 151 |
| 8 | Christian Kirksey | 2016 | 148 |
| 9 | NaVorro Bowman | 2012 | 148 |
| 10 | Anthony Simmons | 2000 | 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