Top 10 seasons by a rookie TE: Pitts closing in on Ditka’s record

Pitts got within striking distance of the record, but he still needs over 100 yards with two games left to overtake Iron Mike.

On Sunday, Kyle Pitts passed Jeremy Shockey for the most receiving yards by a rookie tight end in the NFL’s modern era. While this is quite the accomplishment, there’s still one man that Pitts must pass to be the undisputed rookie TE champ.

Before he was the Super Bowl-champion head coach of the Chicago Bears, Mike Ditka set what’s been an unbreakable rookie record of 1,076 receiving yards for the Bears in 1961.

Pitts got within striking distance of the record, but he still needs over 100 yards with two games left to overtake Iron Mike. Here are the top 10 seasons by a rookie tight end.