The top receivers and the men who threw to them

by Chase Stuart on July 20, 2012

in Passing, Receiving

Let’s start with some trivia before moving to today’s post:

Only two quarterback-receiver pairs have ever topped the 10,000 yard mark. Can you name them?

Hint: Select Show

The same quarterback was part of both pairs.

Hint:	Select Show
The same quarterback was part of both pairs.

Only two receivers (minimum: 7,000 yards) gained at least 93% of their career receiving yards from one quarterback. Do you know who they are?

Hint: Select Show

The same quarterback was part of both pairs, but this is a different quarterback than from question 1.

Hint:	Select Show
The same quarterback was part of both pairs, but this is a different quarterback than from question 1.

Two of the men in the top ten in career receiving yards can credit the same quarterback account for more of their yards than any other passer. Can you name that quarterback?

Hint Select Show

The receivers won a Super Bowl ring, but the quarterback never did.

Hint	Select Show
The receivers won a Super Bowl ring, but the quarterback never did.

Can you name the receiver who gained over 10,000 yards in his career, but the quarterback from whom he gained the most yards was… Quincy Carter?

Hint Select Show

Spoiler: Quincy Carter wasn’t very good.

Hint	Select Show
Spoiler: Quincy Carter wasn’t very good.

Among the top twenty-five leaders in career receiving yards, can you guess which player was the only one to fail to catch at least 20% of his yards from a single quarterback?

Hint Select Show

One of his quarterbacks was Dan Marino.

Hint	Select Show
One of his quarterbacks was Dan Marino.

The table below lists the top 120 leaders in career receiving yards, along with all passers from whom they accumulated at least five percent of their total yards. ^[1]For players who played in the NFL prior to 1960, those games were excluded from the above table. Don Hutson, Elroy Hirsch and Billy Howton accumulated all (or in Howton’s case, the vast … Continue reading For visibility reasons, the table shows only the top 10, but you can cycle through the pages with the arrows at the bottom of the table, or search for your favorite receiver in the search box. You can also sort by any of the categories by simply clicking on the category header, and you can use the dropbox to change the number of receivers listed.

Name	Years	Yds	QB1	QB2	QB3	QB4	QB5	QB6	QB7
Jerry Rice	1985-2004	22895	37%-Steve Young	27%-Joe Montana	12%-Rich Gannon	6%-Jeff Garcia	5%-Elvis Grbac
Terrell Owens	1996-2010	15934	34%-Jeff Garcia	20%-Tony Romo	15%-Steve Young	12%-Donovan McNabb	6%-Carson Palmer
Isaac Bruce	1994-2009	15208	29%-Marc Bulger	24%-Kurt Warner	15%-Tony Banks	9%-Chris Miller
Tim Brown	1988-2004	14934	32%-Rich Gannon	26%-Jeff Hostetler	12%-Jeff George	9%-Jay Schroeder	5%-Vince Evans
Randy Moss	1998-2010	14858	38%-Daunte Culpepper	19%-Tom Brady	10%-Randall Cunningham	7%-Kerry Collins	7%-Jeff George	7%-Matt Cassel
Marvin Harrison	1996-2008	14580	87%-Peyton Manning	8%-Jim Harbaugh
James Lofton	1978-1993	14004	45%-Lynn Dickey	18%-Jim Kelly	13%-David Whitehurst	7%-Randy Wright	5%-Marc Wilson
Cris Carter	1987-2002	13899	21%-Warren Moon	20%-Randall Cunningham	13%-Brad Johnson	13%-Daunte Culpepper	11%-Rich Gannon	6%-Jeff George	5%-Jim McMahon
Henry Ellard	1983-1998	13777	54%-Jim Everett	18%-Gus Frerotte	6%-Heath Shuler	5%-Dieter Brock	5%-Jeff Kemp
Torry Holt	1999-2009	13382	47%-Marc Bulger	28%-Kurt Warner	6%-Jamie Martin	6%-Trent Green	5%-David Garrard
Tony Gonzalez	1997-2011	13338	38%-Trent Green	19%-Elvis Grbac	16%-Matt Ryan	11%-Damon Huard	6%-Tyler Thigpen
Andre Reed	1985-2000	13198	71%-Jim Kelly	9%-Doug Flutie	7%-Todd Collins	5%-Frank Reich
Steve Largent	1976-1989	13089	47%-Jim Zorn	43%-Dave Krieg
Irving Fryar	1984-2000	12785	18%-Dan Marino	12%-Steve Grogan	12%-Ty Detmer	10%-Hugh Millen	9%-Tony Eason	5%-Bobby Hoying	5%-Rodney Peete
Art Monk	1980-1995	12721	36%-Joe Theismann	29%-Mark Rypien	16%-Jay Schroeder	7%-Doug Williams
Jimmy Smith	1992-2005	12287	65%-Mark Brunell	20%-Byron Leftwich	5%-David Garrard
Charlie Joiner	1969-1986	12146	63%-Dan Fouts	11%-Ken Anderson	6%-Dan Pastorini	5%-Ed Luther
Hines Ward	1998-2011	12083	51%-Ben Roethlisberger	20%-Kordell Stewart	18%-Tommy Maddox
Derrick Mason	1997-2011	12061	48%-Steve McNair	24%-Joe Flacco	10%-Kyle Boller	7%-Billy Volek
Michael Irvin	1988-1999	11904	79%-Troy Aikman	5%-Steve Beuerlein	5%-Steve Pelluer
Don Maynard	1958-1973	11834	52%-Joe Namath	14%-Al Dorow	12%-Dick Wood	6%-Johnny Green
Reggie Wayne	2001-2011	11708	90%-Peyton Manning
Muhsin Muhammad	1996-2009	11438	30%-Jake Delhomme	28%-Steve Beuerlein	10%-Rex Grossman	7%-Kerry Collins	6%-Rodney Peete	6%-Kyle Orton	5%-Chris Weinke
Rod Smith	1995-2006	11389	33%-Brian Griese	28%-Jake Plummer	22%-John Elway	7%-Gus Frerotte
Keenan McCardell	1992-2007	11373	50%-Mark Brunell	16%-Brad Johnson	11%-Drew Brees	8%-Vinny Testaverde
Chad Ochocinco	2001-2011	11059	66%-Carson Palmer	27%-Jon Kitna
Joey Galloway	1995-2010	10950	14%-Quincy Carter	13%-Warren Moon	12%-Rick Mirer	9%-Chris Simms	8%-John Friesz	8%-Brian Griese	8%-Jeff Garcia
Gary Clark	1985-1995	10856	39%-Mark Rypien	26%-Jay Schroeder	10%-Steve Beuerlein	9%-Doug Williams	5%-Joe Theismann
Stanley Morgan	1977-1990	10716	55%-Steve Grogan	27%-Tony Eason	8%-Matt Cavanaugh
Keyshawn Johnson	1996-2006	10571	26%-Brad Johnson	18%-Vinny Testaverde	9%-Neil O'Donnell	9%-Shaun King	8%-Drew Bledsoe	7%-Jake Delhomme	6%-Glenn Foley
Harold Jackson	1968-1983	10372	23%-Steve Grogan	15%-Norm Snead	14%-James Harris	10%-John Hadl	10%-Pete Liske	8%-Pat Haden	6%-John Reaves
Steve Smith	2001-2011	10278	59%-Jake Delhomme	13%-Cam Newton	9%-Matt Moore	8%-Rodney Peete
Lance Alworth	1962-1972	10266	69%-John Hadl	13%-Tobin Rote
Andre Rison	1989-2000	10205	23%-Chris Miller	14%-Rich Gannon	11%-Bobby Hebert	10%-Elvis Grbac	9%-Jeff George	6%-Billy Joe Tolliver	6%-Jack Trudeau
Donald Driver	1999-2011	10060	67%-Brett Favre	30%-Aaron Rodgers
Shannon Sharpe	1990-2003	10060	59%-John Elway	8%-Brian Griese	6%-Elvis Grbac	5%-Jake Plummer
Eric Moulds	1996-2007	9995	30%-Drew Bledsoe	25%-Doug Flutie	14%-Rob Johnson	7%-Alex Van Pelt	6%-Kelly Holcomb	5%-David Carr
Drew Hill	1979-1993	9831	69%-Warren Moon	6%-Vince Ferragamo
Andre Johnson	2003-2011	9656	48%-Matt Schaub	37%-David Carr	10%-Sage Rosenfels
Larry Fitzgerald	2004-2011	9615	48%-Kurt Warner	13%-Josh McCown	11%-John Skelton	10%-Matt Leinart	7%-Kevin Kolb	6%-Derek Anderson
Amani Toomer	1996-2008	9497	54%-Kerry Collins	27%-Eli Manning	7%-Kent Graham	6%-Kurt Warner
Rob Moore	1990-1999	9368	24%-Jake Plummer	23%-Boomer Esiason	18%-Ken O’Brien	12%-Kent Graham	9%-Dave Krieg	7%-Browning Nagle
Raymond Berry	1955-1967	9275	58%-Johnny Unitas	5%-Gary Cuozzo
Anquan Boldin	2003-2011	9244	41%-Kurt Warner	19%-Joe Flacco	15%-Josh McCown	11%-Matt Leinart	11%-Jeff Blake
Herman Moore	1991-2001	9174	53%-Scott Mitchell	12%-Charlie Batch	11%-Rodney Peete	7%-Erik Kramer	6%-Dave Krieg	5%-Andre Ware
Anthony Miller	1988-1997	9148	27%-John Elway	18%-Stan Humphries	13%-Billy Joe Tolliver	13%-John Friesz	9%-Jim McMahon	7%-Troy Aikman
Santana Moss	2001-2011	9142	30%-Jason Campbell	19%-Mark Brunell	18%-Chad Pennington	10%-Donovan McNabb	9%-Rex Grossman	5%-Vinny Testaverde
Charley Taylor	1964-1977	9110	67%-Sonny Jurgensen	28%-Billy Kilmer
Tony Martin	1990-2001	9065	36%-Stan Humphries	25%-Dan Marino	16%-Chris Chandler
Harold Carmichael	1971-1984	8985	59%-Ron Jaworski	24%-Roman Gabriel	8%-Mike Boryla
Mark Clayton	1983-1993	8974	93%-Dan Marino
Fred Biletnikoff	1965-1978	8974	52%-Daryle Lamonica	34%-Ken Stabler	5%-George Blanda
Wes Chandler	1978-1988	8966	55%-Dan Fouts	27%-Archie Manning	6%-Ed Luther	6%-Mark Herrmann
Roy Green	1979-1992	8965	66%-Neil Lomax	9%-Timm Rosenbach	8%-Jim Hart	6%-Gary Hogeboom
Ricky Proehl	1990-2006	8878	15%-Jake Delhomme	14%-Kurt Warner	12%-Steve Beuerlein	10%-Timm Rosenbach	9%-Chris Chandler	8%-Erik Kramer	6%-Tom Tupa
Mark Duper	1982-1992	8869	95%-Dan Marino
Terry Glenn	1996-2007	8823	67%-Drew Bledsoe	9%-Brett Favre	8%-Quincy Carter	8%-Tony Romo
Terance Mathis	1990-2002	8809	36%-Chris Chandler	27%-Jeff George	9%-Bobby Hebert	8%-Ken O’Brien
Mark Carrier	1987-1998	8763	53%-Vinny Testaverde	22%-Kerry Collins	6%-Steve Beuerlein	5%-Joe Ferguson
Joe Horn	1996-2007	8744	69%-Aaron Brooks	9%-Jeff Blake	8%-Drew Brees	7%-Elvis Grbac
John Stallworth	1974-1987	8723	53%-Terry Bradshaw	28%-Mark Malone	10%-David Woodley
Johnnie Morton	1994-2005	8719	29%-Charlie Batch	27%-Scott Mitchell	22%-Trent Green	7%-Gus Frerotte
Cliff Branch	1972-1984	8685	60%-Ken Stabler	27%-Jim Plunkett	6%-Marc Wilson
Laveranues Coles	2000-2009	8609	33%-Chad Pennington	18%-Vinny Testaverde	15%-Patrick Ramsey	10%-Brett Favre	6%-Carson Palmer	5%-Mark Brunell	5%-Brooks Bollinger
Paul Warfield	1964-1977	8565	32%-Bob Griese	29%-Frank Ryan	20%-Bill Nelsen	7%-Brian Sipe	5%-Earl Morrall
Billy Howton	1952-1963	8459	15%-Don Meredith	12%-Eddie LeBaron
Plaxico Burress	2000-2011	8457	43%-Eli Manning	24%-Tommy Maddox	15%-Kordell Stewart	8%-Ben Roethlisberger	7%-Mark Sanchez
Tommy McDonald	1957-1968	8410	33%-Sonny Jurgensen	14%-Roman Gabriel	8%-Norm Van Brocklin	7%-Bill Munson	6%-Don Meredith	5%-King Hill
Eddie Kennison	1996-2007	8345	55%-Trent Green	15%-Tony Banks	6%-Damon Huard	6%-Billy Joe Tolliver
Wesley Walker	1977-1989	8306	48%-Richard Todd	30%-Ken O’Brien	13%-Matt Robinson	9%-Pat Ryan
Carroll Dale	1960-1973	8277	38%-Bart Starr	18%-Zeke Bratkowski	11%-Roman Gabriel	9%-Scott Hunter	7%-Don Horn
Curtis Conway	1993-2004	8230	29%-Erik Kramer	13%-Doug Flutie	11%-Drew Brees	8%-Dave Krieg	6%-Ryan Leaf	5%-Jim Harbaugh	5%-Shane Matthews
Ernest Givins	1986-1995	8215	80%-Warren Moon	10%-Cody Carlson
Jeff Graham	1991-2001	8172	22%-Neil O'Donnell	21%-Erik Kramer	14%-Jim Harbaugh	9%-Doug Flutie	8%-Steve Walsh	7%-Ryan Leaf	6%-Frank Reich
Eric Martin	1985-1994	8161	49%-Bobby Hebert	15%-Steve Walsh	11%-Dave Wilson	10%-John Fourcade	9%-Wade Wilson
Sterling Sharpe	1988-1994	8134	45%-Brett Favre	38%-Don Majkowski	6%-Mike Tomczak	5%-Anthony Dilweg
Webster Slaughter	1986-1998	8111	51%-Bernie Kosar	12%-Warren Moon	7%-Cody Carlson	6%-Steve Bono	5%-Mike Pagel	5%-Billy Joe Tolliver
Haven Moses	1968-1981	8091	30%-Craig Morton	15%-Charley Johnson	13%-Dennis Shaw	11%-Steve Ramsey	7%-Dan Darragh	6%-Jack Kemp	5%-Norris Weese
Art Powell	1959-1968	8046	36%-Tom Flores	23%-Al Dorow	19%-Cotton Davidson	7%-Johnny Green
Bill Brooks	1986-1996	8001	31%-Jack Trudeau	23%-Jim Kelly	21%-Jeff George	9%-Chris Chandler	8%-Gary Hogeboom
Don Hutson	1935-1945	7991
Tony Hill	1977-1986	7988	63%-Danny White	23%-Roger Staubach	5%-Gary Hogeboom	5%-Steve Pelluer
Ozzie Newsome	1978-1990	7980	52%-Brian Sipe	23%-Bernie Kosar	18%-Paul McDonald
Bobby Mitchell	1958-1968	7954	41%-Sonny Jurgensen	30%-Norm Snead	12%-Milt Plum
Jackie Smith	1963-1977	7918	51%-Jim Hart	33%-Charley Johnson
Jimmy Orr	1958-1970	7914	57%-Johnny Unitas	10%-Earl Morrall	5%-Bobby Layne
Jason Witten	2003-2011	7909	61%-Tony Romo	12%-Vinny Testaverde	12%-Drew Bledsoe	8%-Jon Kitna
Drew Pearson	1973-1983	7822	67%-Roger Staubach	29%-Danny White
Antonio Gates	2003-2011	7783	68%-Philip Rivers	29%-Drew Brees
Bobby Engram	1996-2009	7751	52%-Matt Hasselbeck	12%-Erik Kramer	6%-Cade McNown	6%-Steve Stenstrom	5%-Seneca Wallace	5%-Trent Dilfer
Anthony Carter	1985-1995	7733	43%-Wade Wilson	23%-Tommy Kramer	19%-Rich Gannon	9%-Sean Salisbury
Chris Chambers	2001-2010	7648	31%-Jay Fiedler	15%-Philip Rivers	12%-Gus Frerotte	10%-Matt Cassel	6%-A.J. Feeley	6%-Joey Harrington	5%-Sage Rosenfels
Brian Blades	1988-1998	7620	36%-Rick Mirer	32%-Dave Krieg	8%-John Friesz	6%-Jeff Kemp	5%-Kelly Stouffer	5%-Warren Moon
Nat Moore	1974-1986	7546	47%-Bob Griese	28%-Dan Marino	13%-Don Strock	9%-David Woodley
Roy Jefferson	1965-1976	7539	31%-Billy Kilmer	18%-Dick Shiner	11%-Bill Nelsen	8%-Kent Nix	8%-Johnny Unitas	8%-Sonny Jurgensen	5%-Ron C. Smith
Gary Garrison	1966-1977	7538	72%-John Hadl	13%-Dan Fouts	5%-Jesse Freitas
Ed McCaffrey	1991-2003	7422	31%-Brian Griese	31%-John Elway	8%-Phil Simms	7%-Gus Frerotte	5%-Bubby Brister
Bob Hayes	1965-1975	7414	43%-Don Meredith	35%-Craig Morton	15%-Roger Staubach
Pete Retzlaff	1956-1966	7412	25%-Sonny Jurgensen	25%-Norm Snead	15%-King Hill	10%-Norm Van Brocklin
Roddy White	2005-2011	7374	67%-Matt Ryan	11%-Michael Vick	10%-Joey Harrington	9%-Chris Redman
Wayne Chrebet	1995-2005	7365	39%-Vinny Testaverde	14%-Chad Pennington	13%-Neil O'Donnell	8%-Ray Lucas	7%-Glenn Foley	7%-Frank Reich	6%-Boomer Esiason
Otis Taylor	1965-1974	7306	79%-Len Dawson	11%-Mike Livingston	7%-Pete Beathard
Boyd Dowler	1959-1971	7270	64%-Bart Starr	10%-Zeke Bratkowski	7%-Don Horn
Antonio Freeman	1995-2003	7251	91%-Brett Favre	6%-Donovan McNabb
T.J. Houshmandzadeh	2001-2011	7237	60%-Carson Palmer	12%-Jon Kitna	10%-Matt Hasselbeck	8%-Ryan Fitzpatrick	5%-Joe Flacco
Wes Welker	2004-2011	7226	68%-Tom Brady	16%-Matt Cassel	5%-Joey Harrington	5%-Gus Frerotte
Lionel Taylor	1959-1968	7195	34%-Frank Tripucka	17%-Mickey Slaughter	12%-John McCormick	11%-Jacky Lee	7%-George Herring	5%-Don Breaux
Darrell Jackson	2000-2008	7132	63%-Matt Hasselbeck	13%-Trent Dilfer	8%-Jon Kitna	5%-Seneca Wallace
Carl Pickens	1992-2000	7129	65%-Jeff Blake	12%-Neil O'Donnell	8%-David Klingler
Ken Burrough	1970-1981	7102	72%-Dan Pastorini	9%-Ken Stabler	6%-Lynn Dickey
Isaac Curtis	1973-1984	7101	87%-Ken Anderson	5%-Jack Thompson
Reggie Rucker	1970-1981	7065	55%-Brian Sipe	25%-Jim Plunkett	9%-Mike Phipps
John Gilliam	1967-1977	7056	45%-Fran Tarkenton	26%-Jim Hart	8%-Charley Johnson	6%-Billy Kilmer	5%-Pete Beathard
Elroy Hirsch	1946-1957	7029
Shawn Jefferson	1991-2003	7023	42%-Drew Bledsoe	25%-Stan Humphries	14%-Chris Chandler	6%-Michael Vick
Pat Tilley	1976-1986	7005	53%-Jim Hart	41%-Neil Lomax
Jake Reed	1991-2002	6999	40%-Warren Moon	28%-Brad Johnson	11%-Randall Cunningham	5%-Aaron Brooks	5%-Jeff George
J.T. Smith	1978-1990	6974	40%-Neil Lomax	18%-Steve Fuller	13%-Bill Kenney	10%-Gary Hogeboom	8%-Cliff Stoudt
Derrick Alexander	1994-2002	6971	38%-Vinny Testaverde	36%-Elvis Grbac	9%-Rich Gannon	7%-Trent Green	5%-Eric Zeier
Marshall Faulk	1994-2005	6875	38%-Kurt Warner	19%-Jim Harbaugh	13%-Peyton Manning	12%-Marc Bulger

I’m sure a lot of you could spend hours playing around with that table. One fun thing to do is type in a quarterback and see which receivers come up. Vinny Testaverde brings up 8 different names; Kurt Warner brings seven. Jeff George gives you Bill Brooks, who entered the league in 1986, and Randy Moss (1998). You can connect Sterling Sharpe to Laveranues Coles through Brett Favre.

Not only have Manning and Harrison, and Manning and Wayne, topped the 10,000 yard mark, but they can look natural in any setting.

What about those trivia questions? Peyton Manning connected on over 10,000 ^[2]Note that these numbers are not exact, but are as close as you can get with individual game (but not play by play) data. In each game, I calculated what percentage of passing yards were generated by … Continue reading yards of passes with both Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. Interestingly enough, the two wide receivers who were most dependent on their quarterback? Miami receivers Mark Clayton and Mark Duper both spent nearly their entire careers catching passes from Dan Marino.

Did you know that both Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt gained more yards with Marc Bulger than they did with Kurt Warner? Holt and Bruce are both in the top ten in career receiving yards.

Of course, one of the more interesting ways to use the above data is to see which receivers have been stuck with bad quarterbacks their whole career. Doug Drinen and I are sympathetic to the plight of Joey Galloway. Quincy Carter, a 41- and 42-year old Warren Moon, Rick Mirer, Chris Simms, John Friesz, Brian Griese and Jeff Garcia were the quarterbacks on whom he depended. In addition to Galloway, Harold Jackson, Andre Rison and Keyshawn Johnson all gained 6% of their receiving yards from seven different quarterbacks.

Let us know in the comments what you find most interesting.

References[+]

References
↑1	For players who played in the NFL prior to 1960, those games were excluded from the above table. Don Hutson, Elroy Hirsch and Billy Howton accumulated all (or in Howton’s case, the vast majority) of their stats prior to 1960 and were therefore excluded. Raymond Berry (64%), Pete Retzlaff (78%), Tommy McDonald (80%), Jimmy Orr (81%), Boyd Dowler (92%), Bobby Mitchell (94%), Don Maynard (99%) and Lionel Taylor (99.99%) accumulated the majority of their receiving yards after 1960, and were included. However, their stats on quarterback data only focuses on their performances beginning in 1960.
↑2	Note that these numbers are not exact, but are as close as you can get with individual game (but not play by play) data. In each game, I calculated what percentage of passing yards were generated by each team’s quarterback. Usually, 100% of the passing yards were by one quarterback, but obviously there were exceptions. If a quarterback threw for 300 yards and the team had 400 gross passing yards, then for each receiver, 75% of his yards would be assigned to the first quarterback, and 25% to the second.

Tagged as: Andre Rison, Harold Jackson, Joey Galloway, Keyshawn Johnson, Marvin Harrison, Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne

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