Best 5th seasons in NFL history
Who had the best 5th season in NFL history?
Jameis Winston holds the best 5th season in passing yards: 5,109 in 2019, and Joe Burrow in 2024 in passing touchdowns (43).
Passing yards
| # | Player | Season | YDS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jameis Winston | 2019 | 5,109 |
| 2 | Joe Burrow | 2024 | 4,918 |
| 3 | Kirk Cousins | 2016 | 4,917 |
| 4 | Patrick Mahomes | 2021 | 4,839 |
| 5 | Matt Ryan | 2012 | 4,719 |
| 6 | Matthew Stafford | 2013 | 4,650 |
| 7 | Tony Romo | 2009 | 4,483 |
| 8 | Aaron Rodgers | 2009 | 4,434 |
| 9 | Brett Favre | 1995 | 4,413 |
| 10 | Marc Bulger | 2006 | 4,301 |
Passing touchdowns
| # | Player | Season | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Burrow | 2024 | 43 |
| 2 | Brett Favre | 1995 | 38 |
| 3 | Patrick Mahomes | 2021 | 37 |
| 4 | Cam Newton | 2015 | 35 |
| 5 | Josh Allen | 2022 | 35 |
| 6 | Philip Rivers | 2008 | 34 |
| 7 | Jameis Winston | 2019 | 33 |
| 8 | Dave Krieg | 1984 | 32 |
| 9 | Matt Ryan | 2012 | 32 |
| 10 | Andrew Luck | 2016 | 31 |
Rushing yards
| # | Player | Season | YDS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derrick Henry | 2020 | 2,027 |
| 2 | Jamal Anderson | 1998 | 1,846 |
| 3 | Michael Turner | 2008 | 1,699 |
| 4 | Shaun Alexander | 2004 | 1,696 |
| 5 | Jerome Bettis | 1997 | 1,665 |
| 6 | LeSean McCoy | 2013 | 1,607 |
| 7 | Priest Holmes | 2001 | 1,555 |
| 8 | Chris Warren | 1994 | 1,545 |
| 9 | Nick Chubb | 2022 | 1,525 |
| 10 | Eddie George | 2000 | 1,509 |
Rushing touchdowns
| # | Player | Season | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emmitt Smith | 1994 | 21 |
| 2 | Terry Allen | 1996 | 21 |
| 3 | LaDainian Tomlinson | 2005 | 18 |
| 4 | Derrick Henry | 2020 | 17 |
| 5 | Michael Turner | 2008 | 17 |
| 6 | Shaun Alexander | 2004 | 16 |
| 7 | James Conner | 2021 | 15 |
| 8 | Eddie George | 2000 | 14 |
| 9 | Jalen Hurts | 2024 | 14 |
| 10 | Jamal Anderson | 1998 | 14 |
Receiving yards
| # | Player | Season | YDS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cooper Kupp | 2021 | 1,947 |
| 2 | Julio Jones | 2015 | 1,871 |
| 3 | Antonio Brown | 2014 | 1,698 |
| 4 | Torry Holt | 2003 | 1,696 |
| 5 | Herman Moore | 1995 | 1,686 |
| 6 | Calvin Johnson | 2011 | 1,681 |
| 7 | Jimmy Smith | 1999 | 1,636 |
| 8 | Demaryius Thomas | 2014 | 1,619 |
| 9 | Steve Smith Sr. | 2005 | 1,563 |
| 10 | Justin Jefferson | 2024 | 1,533 |
Receptions
| # | Player | Season | REC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cooper Kupp | 2021 | 145 |
| 2 | Julio Jones | 2015 | 136 |
| 3 | Antonio Brown | 2014 | 129 |
| 4 | Ja'Marr Chase | 2025 | 125 |
| 5 | Herman Moore | 1995 | 123 |
| 6 | Amon-Ra St. Brown | 2025 | 117 |
| 7 | Torry Holt | 2003 | 117 |
| 8 | Jimmy Smith | 1999 | 116 |
| 9 | Adam Thielen | 2018 | 113 |
| 10 | Hines Ward | 2002 | 112 |
Sacks
| # | Player | Season | SACK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | T.J. Watt | 2021 | 22.5 |
| 2 | Chris Doleman | 1989 | 21.0 |
| 3 | Aaron Donald | 2018 | 20.5 |
| 4 | Shaquil Barrett | 2019 | 19.5 |
| 5 | Keith Millard | 1989 | 18.0 |
| 6 | Bryce Paup | 1995 | 17.5 |
| 7 | J.J. Watt | 2015 | 17.5 |
| 8 | Josh Hines-Allen | 2023 | 17.5 |
| 9 | Kevin Carter | 1999 | 17.0 |
| 10 | La'Roi Glover | 2000 | 17.0 |
Tackles
| # | Player | Season | TOT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foyesade Oluokun | 2022 | 184 |
| 2 | Alex Singleton | 2023 | 177 |
| 3 | Roquan Smith | 2022 | 169 |
| 4 | Bobby Wagner | 2016 | 167 |
| 5 | Zaire Franklin | 2022 | 167 |
| 6 | Azeez Al-Shaair | 2023 | 163 |
| 7 | Stephen Tulloch | 2010 | 160 |
| 8 | Rashaan Evans | 2022 | 159 |
| 9 | D'Qwell Jackson | 2011 | 158 |
| 10 | Vincent Brown | 1993 | 157 |
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