Is This THE Unbreakable NFL Record?

Published on September 27th, 2024 10:54 am EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


If you want to talk about unbreakable NFL records, how about this one?

Jerry Rice - the clear GOAT when it comes to the wide receiver position - had 185 catches AFTER turning 40 years old.

In this day and age, wide receivers that are over the age of 30 are considered to be long in the tooth.

Jerry Rice, however, continued to play at a VERY high level when he hit the age of 40.

In fact, when Rice was playing for the Oakland Raiders at the age of 40, he caught 92 passes for 1,211 yards and 7 touchdowns - an absolutely unbelievable statistic.

When Rice turned 41, his numbers slowed but were still impressive. That season, Rice caught 63 passes for 869 yards and two touchdowns.

In his final season in the NFL - which he split between the Raiders and Seattle Seahawks - Rice caught 30 passes for over 400 yards.

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In case you were wondering, the next closest 40+ year-old on the list for most catches is Brett Favre, who caught ONE pass after turning 40 years of age.

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At the start of the 1997 season, when Rice was 35 years of age, he tore his ACL and MCL.

For most players, that wouold have been the end of their careers - rehabbing such an injury at the age of 35, as a wide receiver, and then coming back would be practically unfathomable in this day and age.

Rice, however, had signed a 7-year, $32 million deal at the start of the season. Plus, he was still playing at a very high level, as he had posted a season of 108 catches and 1,254 yards just the year before.

Rice would end up coming back with a vengeance, and had roughly 6,500 receiving yards AFTER coming back from his devastating injury.

Jerry Rice was obviously one of the most talented wide receivers in NFL history, but it was his LONGEVITY that was truly breathtaking.