Tag: Jerry Rice

Commanders’ WR Terry McLaurin makes NFL history

Further proof of McLaurin’s greatness.

Quickly, name the only four NFL receivers in history to accomplish a milestone of 50 catches and 900 receiving yards in each of their first six seasons.

Well, first, let’s settle the matter of Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin becoming the fourth NFL player to reach these receiving statistics on Sunday against the Saints.

That’s right. Only four receivers have accomplished these plateaus in NFL history for various reasons. Injury is a major reason, as players get injured occasionally.

In the last 30 years, the game has changed to much more of a passing game, yet still, only four receivers in the previous 30 years have caught 50 passes and accumulated 900 receiving years in their first six NFL seasons.

When you consider the quarterbacks who have started for Washington during his six seasons, McLaurin’s accomplishments become even more noteworthy. Here are the quarterbacks who were passing to McLaurin:

  • 2019: Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins, Colt McCoy
  • 2020: Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen, Alex Smith, Taylor Heinicke
  • 2021: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Taylor Heinicke, Kyle Allen, Garrett Gilbert
  • 2022: Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke, Sam Howell
  • 2023: Sam Howell, Jacoby Brissett
  • 2024: Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota

Going through the list leaves one shaking their head, wondering how it is that McLaurin accomplished this.

OK, who are the other three NFL receivers in modern history who have accomplished these statistics in their first six NFL seasons?

Remarkably, no, not even Jerry Rice. Rice had 49 receptions in his rookie season and began his Hall of Fame credentials.

No, not Art Monk. The NFL season was cut to nine games in his third season due to the players’ strike.

Gary Clark? No. In his fourth season, Clark accumulated 892 receiving yards, falling short by a mere eight yards.

Randy Moss? Yes, you are correct. Further, Moss was, in fact, the very first NFL receiver to reach these heights in each of his first six NFL seasons. In his seventh NFL season, he had only 49 receptions, falling a single reception short of reaching these levels in his first seven seasons.

A.J. Green? Yes, Green accomplished these numbers for his first seven NFL seasons, all with the Bengals. Thus, Green was the first to have 50 receptions and 900 receiving yards in his first seven seasons.

Mike Evans? Evans lives on a planet different from other wide receivers. He has accomplished these numbers for each of his first ten NFL seasons. Of course, he is the only receiver in NFL history to accomplish this in his first ten seasons. In addition, though he missed three games this season, he is on track to again reach these marks in 2024 for his 11th consecutive season!

*In fairness to great receivers like Moss, Rice, Monk, and Clark, none of those guys had the opportunity to play in a 17-game NFL season. From 1978-2020, the NFL played 16-game regular seasons, beginning 17-game schedules in 2021.

Puka Nacua joined two Hall of Famers as the only NFL players to accomplish rare feat

Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Lance Alworth are the only other NFL players to accomplish what Puka Nacua did on Sunday

Puka Nacua has had a lot of eye-popping performances already in the NFL despite only being in his second season, but his game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday might’ve been his best yet. Nacua caught 12 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown, while also adding 16 yards rushing and a touchdown on a career-high five carries.

His 162 yards receiving were the third-most he’s ever had in a game and his 178 yards from scrimmage were the second-most of his career, but he accomplished something in Week 14 that only two other NFL players ever have – and they’re both Hall of Famers.

According to NFL.com, Nacua became just the third player in league history with at least 160 yards receiving, one touchdown catch and one rushing touchdown in the same game. The other two are Jerry Rice, who did it twice, and Lance Alworth.

That’s some rare company for Nacua to keep and it shows his versatility as a playmaker on offense. Not only was he incredibly productive as a receiver, but his 16 rushing yards kept the chains moving and all of them picked up positive yardage except for one where he lost 3 yards.

It’s obviously still very early in his career, but if Nacua stays healthy, he’s on a path to becoming one of the best receivers in franchise history.

George Kittle could be top 3 pass catcher in 49ers history with big Week 8

George Kittle could surpass a couple of 49ers legends on the all-time receiving yards list with a big game in Week 8.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle has a chance to cement himself as a franchise legend with a big game in Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Never mind for a moment Kittle’s gregarious personality, which combined with his productivity has already put him in the realm of all-time greats in 49ers history.

A big Week 8 showing could land Kittle at No. 3 in the 49ers’ all-time receiving yards list. He’s entering the week at No. 5, but he needs just 102 yards to leap into the top three.

Here’s what the top-five looks like entering Sunday night’s game:

1. WR Jerry Rice: 19,247
2. WR Terrell Owens: 8,572
3. WR Dwight Clark: 6,750
4. WR Gene Washington: 6,664
5. TE George Kittle: 6,649

Kittle is already more than 1,000 yards clear of Vernon Davis for the most receiving yards by a TE in franchise history.

It’ll be interesting to see if Kittle can eventually track down Owens. Kittle is on track for exactly 1,000 yards in 2024. That would put him at 7,274 yards –leaving him 1,298 yards shy of Owens. Two more years with 650 yards in each season would be enough to climb to No. 2 in 49ers history. He’d need to average 433 yards per season with the 49ers if he plays for three more years in San Francisco.

Before trying to track down Owens, however, Kittle needs to play in Week 8. He’s dealing with a foot sprain that held him out of Wednesday’s practice. He returned Thursday, which is a good sign for his chances to play against the Cowboys and continue his trek up the 49ers’ all-time receiving yards leaderboard.

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Chargers WR Brenden Rice making presence felt at training camp

The son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice is looking to secure a roster spot.

There is competition for the back end of the Chargers’ wide receiver room, and one player who is making a strong push for a spot is rookie Brenden Rice.

Rice, the son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, has made several big catches throughout training camp, with his latest coming on Wednesday. Easton Stick delivered a nice pass and Rice reeled it in with an over-the-shoulder grab.

If Rice continues to make plays like this the rest of the summer, he might not only make the roster but could also be a nice complementary piece in Year 1.

Rice is a big receiver with strong hands and a good sense of route running. He is also willing to block in space.

Rice tallied 84 career catches for 1,402 yards and 16 touchdowns while at USC. He began his college career at Colorado.

Jerry Rice threatens reporters after perceived trolling about 49ers Super Bowl loss

Don’t disrespect the 49ers in front of Jerry Rice.

49ers Hall of Famer Jerry Rice took exception to a question from a couple of reporters from Kansas City at the American Century Championship golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.

In a wild video posted by TMZ Sports’ Michael Babcock, Rice is seen cursing at the reporters who asked him if the Chiefs’ receiving corps was good enough to win another Super Bowl.

The reporters claimed they were aiming to find out from Rice, the consensus greatest wide receiver of all-time, if Kansas City had improved its group of WRs enough to continue winning championships. Last season the Chiefs’ receiving corps was criticized throughout the year, but they figured out a way to hoist a Lombardi Trophy.

Rice told TMZ he believed the reporters were smirking at him and trying to troll him. He took enough exception to the question to hurl an expletive at the reporters.

Here’s the video via TMZ:

Rice told TMZ Sports he’s going to back the club that he spent 16 of his 21 NFL seasons with.

“I’m going to defend the San Francisco 49ers,” he said. “This is my history.”

The Hall of Fame receiver is a frequent attendant at 49ers games, so it’s not a surprise he took exception to what he thought was disrespect aimed at the club.

Rice notched 1,281 receptions with 19,247 yards and 176 touchdowns in his 16 seasons with the 49ers. He’s also the NFL’s all-time leader in all of those categories.

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Jerry Rice’s final career TD was as a Seahawk

Jerry Rice’s final career TD was as a Seahawk

One of the more fun thought experiments sports fans can do is remember how many teams a certain player was on, especially for legends. Superstars moving to multiple teams is far more common in basketball and baseball, but it does happen in the NFL as well.

Such is the case for inarguably the greatest wide receiver of all time, Jerry Rice. Although his legacy is firmly cemented as a San Francisco 49er, Rice did bounce around to two other teams at the end of his career. Starting in 2001, Rice went across the Bay to be a member of the Oakland Raiders, and even made it to Super Bowl XXXVII with them.

But his final bit of NFL action came as a member of the Seattle Seahawks. Rice was traded to Seattle only six games into the 2004 season where he played out his remaining games. Rice only caught three touchdowns as a member of the Seahawks, but he recorded his last one wearing Seattle’s steel blue and white,

Unfortunately, the Seahawks did ultimately lose that game to the New York Jets 37-14, but won their next two to claim an NFC West division title.

Rice will of course always be remembered for his legendary career in San Francisco. But it is still pretty neat the Seahawks were involved, albeit briefly, in his career’s story.

Interestingly, Rice seemed to kick off an unusual trend where Seattle became the final stop for Hall of Fame caliber wide receivers.

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Jerry Rice speaks on Brenden Rice’s draft slide: ‘We have a lot of people to prove wrong’

Brenden Rice is using his slide in the draft as motivation.

New Chargers wide receiver Brenden Rice spoke to the media at rookie minicamp on Friday.

First, Rice spoke about his draft status and whether he was “frustrated” with falling as far as the seventh round:

It was very frustrating, the whole draft process. But, at the same time, it was a blessing because everything can be a blessing in disguise. I prayed to go to a team that really wanted me and God felt as though that the Los Angeles Chargers wanted me. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, I just wanted to get my foot in the door, be around a good group of people. I wanted to be in a room that I could go ahead and prove myself, doing the same things that I’ve been doing all my whole life, from Colorado to USC. Now, I’ve been chasing competition and I’ve always wanted to prove myself, time and time again. You can go ahead and be frustrated, but you have to look at it as a blessing.

Rice also talked about the emotions he felt during the Chargers’ draft call, which came as he was leaving a close friend’s funeral in Dallas.

It was very emotional. There was a lot going on — falling, having a whole family there Friday. I knew, no matter what, that I was going to take that flight the next morning. My agents were on me, but the thing is, that was my best friend. Just to be able to go ahead and sit there and be attentive and be into the funeral, as well as get the call later after the funeral, It was just a blessing from God because He allowed me to go ahead and mourn the death of my friend. Then, after that, go ahead and be happy. It was a glorious day.

Jerry Rice was “hot” on draft day regarding his son’s draft status, per Brenden’s account:

My Dad was hot [laughter]. The first words he said was, ‘Time to go to work.’ He said, ‘I will be with you every step of the way.’ He said, ‘Now, I’m going to be involved within all of your workouts from now on, and we have a lot of people to prove wrong, a lot of teams that go ahead.’ It’s going to be one hell of a story, that’s all that I’m going to say [laughter].

Rice also brought up his Hall of Fame father’s career when referencing his transition between quarterbacks. He views transitioning from Caleb Williams to Justin Herbert in the same vein as the “good luck” Jerry also had with quarterbacks in his career.

In contrast with his dad’s smooth route-running game, Rice views himself as a “physical” wide receiver at the top of his routes. He mentioned three names in trying to emulate their respective games: Davante Adams, Calvin Ridley, and Mike Evans.

On whether he can compete for a spot in the Chargers’ wide receiver rotation this year, Rice kept it short: “Without a doubt. Yes.”

J.J. Birden sees similarities between Patrick Mahomes, Joe Montana

#Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to former wide receiver J.J. Birden about similarities between Patrick Mahomes and Joe Montana. | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs’ success over the past few seasons has everyone calling the franchise a dynasty. Past players realize the team’s greatness and are hopeful for more in the future while recognizing familiar traits from their tenure.

Former Chiefs wide receiver J.J. Birden was a teammate of NFL legend Joe Montana during his time in Kansas City. Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Birden about adjusting his game alongside a football icon and seeing similarities in Patrick Mahomes’ leadership.

“Yeah, playing with Joe was something special because here, you’re getting the opportunity to play with one of the best,” Birden said. “When he joined Kansas City, he was in his 15th year, already winning four Super Bowls and achieving all these accolades. But I’ve always considered myself a learner. Right away, I think, like, ‘OK, success leaves clues; what can I learn from one of the greatest?’ I certainly did.

“I think what impressed me the most about Joe was that he came in with an attitude like, ‘OK, how can I make the Chiefs players and organization better?’ That’s what leaders do. They lead from the front. Joe came in, studied like a rookie, prepared like a veteran, led like a pro, and lifted us up.”

Montana’s time in Kansas City was only two seasons, but he led the team to the playoffs in each. Birden explained that the same winning attitude and leadership is already present in Mahomes’ era.

“That’s what I see in Patrick Mahomes,” Birden continued. “Even at a younger stage in his career, he is a leader, and leaders lead from the front, and they make everybody else better. It gets me excited to see Hollywood Brown, you know, and obviously [Xavier] Worthy and everybody else, because Patrick will play a role in making those guys better. … They will see they need to step up their game because when Joe started throwing me curl routes and cut comebacks and goals, I realized that I got to be quicker at on my break, I got to be better on top on the schemes and stuff. It just made me better as a player.”

Mahomes’ greatness on the field influences his teammates, especially his wide receivers, making them want to work harder. Birden was motivated more with Montana at quarterback following his great seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

“I wanted to play at my best. Joe Montana is used to playing with guys like Jerry Rice and John Taylor; they are Hall of Fame as far as Rice. Taylor may be one day,” Birden said. “So, when Joe came in, I wanted to make sure he didn’t feel a drop-off. There was a little bit of pressure. But at the same time, I was motivated to work harder to work more on my routes and catching the ball. I studied film more and was more prepared for the game.”

The Chiefs led the league in dropped passes last season, drawing criticism from spectators throughout their Super Bowl run. Birden believes the receivers’ room will rebound and be more diligent for their quarterback in 2024.

Said Birden: “There’s a balancing act for players like the Chiefs wide receivers. Yes, you want to play better because you’re playing with Mahomes. But that should motivate you to spend more time mastering the basics and fundamentals and not being overconfident so that you and Mahomes will be on the same page when you go into the game. You get out there and do your job.”

J.J. Birden is a motivational keynote speaker; check his official website for more information. 

Chargers draft Brenden Rice, son of Hall of Fame legend Jerry Rice

The Chargers drafted Jerry Rice’s son, USC WR Brenden Rice

The Los Angeles Chargers drafted the son of a GOAT in the seventh round on Saturday.

USC wide receiver Brenden Rice will call SoFi Stadium home after the LA Coliseum was home base for two seasons.

Rice was a favored target of Caleb Williams as a senior, catching 45 passes for 791 yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns.

Overall in college, Rice, who spent his first two years at Colorado, made 111 catches for 1,821 yards with six touchdowns.

Brenden Rice eyes the biggest threat to Jerry Rice’s records

Brenden Rice knows what it means to be an elite wide receiver. Can he himself become one?

Brenden Rice, the former USC wide receiver and the son of Jerry Rice, joined USC legend Keyshawn Johnson on the All Facts No Brakes podcast ahead of the 2024 NFL draft. Brenden Rice discussed his father’s legacy and gave a hint at who can challenge some of Jerry’s all-time receiver records.

Jerry Rice remains the gold standard for NFL wide receivers. He had a high football IQ, difference-making speed, elite-level elusiveness, the long arms needed to make difficult catches, precise route-running ability, and legendary competitive toughness. He was in many ways the Michael Jordan of NFL receivers, marrying athleticism, toughness and intelligence in one complete package. Like Jordan, Rice was at his best in the most important moments of the biggest games. He led the San Francisco 49ers on a long downfield drive for the winning touchdown in the final minute of Super Bowl XXIII over the Cininnati Bengals in January of 1989. He and Joe Montana formed one of the greatest pitch-and-catch combinations in the history of pro football.

Brenden Rice isn’t expected to match Jerry Rice, but he gets his big chance to prove himself in the NFL. A proud papa will be watching.

Here’s Brenden Rice on Keyshawn Johnson’s podcast:

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