In reacting to Justin Jefferson’s contract on his show this week, Rich Eisen brought up a stat that caught my attention: Jefferson to this point with the Minnesota Vikings has accumulated 5,899 receiving yards, the most receiving yards by any player through their first four seasons in the NFL. But before Jefferson there was Torry Holt, who racked up 5,088 yards in four seasons. With the then-St. Louis Rams, Holt reached 6,784 yards after his fifth season, the highest receiving total for a player through their first five seasons in the league.
If Jefferson can tack on just under 1,000 yards this upcoming campaign, he will become the new wide receiver with the most reception yards in their first five seasons in the NFL.
Per Eisen:
“He has more receiving yards in his first four seasons than Calvin Johnson or Marvin Harrison Sr. had through their first five. They’re both in the Hall of Fame FYI. He needs only 885 yards this season to break the record for most receiving yards through the first five years of a career. That record currently belongs to…”
Eisen leaves it up to his co-hosts to try and guess the answer. Jerry Rice and Randy Moss are both name-dropped, however if you are still here then you know that Torry “Big Game” Holt is the correct answer which Eisen reveals along with his feeling that Holt should be in the Hall of Fame.
“Torry Holt, who should be in the Hall of Fame FYI.”
Whether or not you think Holt should be in the Hall is a different conversation, and one that Turf Show Times has tackled more than once. Regardless, the facts are the facts and Holt may not be a Hall of Famer yet, but he still has the most reception yards through a player’s first five seasons. That record has stood since the 2003 season. Will it continue to stand? If Jefferson stays healthy whether he plays with Sam Darnold of JJ McCarthy he should be able pass the 885 yards needed. Of course, records can’t be “broken” in the offseason. It’s breaking a record during the real season that makes it last.