Quick, side bar...any team ever had 3 1000 yard receivers in a single season?
The 1980 San Diego Chargers produced first 1,000-yard trio, consisting of John Jefferson, and Hall of Famers Kellen Winslow and
Charlie Joiner. Their 3,762 combined yards are the highest total of any 1,000-yard trio. During this season, quarterback
Dan Fouts passed for a then-record 4,715 yards under the
Air Coryell system instituted by head coach
Don Coryell.
The 1989 Washington Commanders produced the second 1,000-yard trio, consisting of wide receivers
Art Monk,
Gary Clark, and
Ricky Sanders. Nicknamed "The Posse", this trio is the only trio who did not have a 4,000-yard quarterback, with two quarterbacks,
Mark Rypien (3,768 yards) and
Doug Williams (585 yards), needed to break the 4,000 yards passing mark (though Rypien only played 14 games of a 16-game season).
The 1995 Atlanta Falcons produced the third 1,000-yard trio, consisting of running back/wide receiver/return specialist Eric Metcalf and wide receivers Terance Mathis and Bert Emanuel. Metcalf's 104 receptions are the most by any member of a 1,000-yard trio. Quarterback
Jeff George passed for 4,143 yards, the only time he passed for over 4,000 yards in his career.
The 2004 Indianapolis Colts produced the fourth 1,000-yard trio, consisting of wide receivers
Marvin Harrison,
Reggie Wayne, and
Brandon Stokley. During this season, quarterback
Peyton Manning passed for 4,557 yards and broke the season passing touchdown record of 48
touchdowns, held by
Dan Marino, with 49 (which would be broken during the
2007 NFL season by
Tom Brady, with 50, but then reclaimed by Manning in the
2014 NFL season). Harrison's 15 touchdowns are the most of any single receiver and the trio's 37 combined touchdowns are the most of a 1,000-yard trio.
The 2008 Arizona Cardinals produced the fifth and most recent 1,000 yard trio, consisting of wide receivers
Larry Fitzgerald,
Anquan Boldin, and
Steve Breaston. Quarterback
Kurt Warner's 4,583 yards were second only to
Drew Brees's 5,069 passing yards (which fell 15 yards short of Dan Marino's then-record 5,084 yards). The Cardinals posted a 9-7 record, and advanced to
Super Bowl XLIII, losing 27-23 to the
Pittsburgh Steelers. Fitzgerald's 1,431 yards are the most of any member of a 1,000-yard trio. Their 262 combined receptions are the most of any 1,000-yard trio.