In the Air: The Evolution of the NFL Wide Receiver

Wide receivers have become an integral part of the modern NFL offense.

In 2021, we witnessed Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp have a ground-breaking season. He earned the receiving triple crown, awarded to a receiver who leads the league in receptions, receiving touchdowns, and receiving yards all in one season.

Other wideouts such as Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill and Deebo Samuel have become key factors in their teams’ success as well as some of the most recognizable faces in the current NFL.

Current NFL fans would be surprised to see how wide receivers were used in NFL offenses in the earlier days of professional football. Teams would rely on the run game with the occasional passing play. Since the 1960s, wide receivers become a more important part of their team’s offense. 

This blog will be examining this change; focusing on the key wide receivers who helped revolutionize the game as well as the coaches who were trail blazers in making the receivers a more integral part of the offense. 

A look at the numbers

When examining the change in the use of wide receivers over the history of the NFL, player statistics are one of the most important parts to look at. I have compiled the league leading receivers from one year each decade (1960, 1970, 1980, etc.) from 1960 to today. 

When looking at the numbers of those previous statistics there is one that stand out the most from all the decades: receiving yards. It is easy to see that there is an overall increase in total receiving yards per season as time moves on. The most interesting aspect to this is the increase in 1000 yard seasons.

Starting in 1960, only one receiver had a thousand yard season, that being Raymond Berry with 1298 yards in 1960. In every following year examined, the number of 1000 yard seasons increased. Below are the totals per year examined.

1960: 1 (Raymond Berry –  1298)

1970: 4 (Gene Washington – 1100, Marlin Briscoe – 1036, Dick Gordon – 1026, Gary Garrison – 1006) 

1980: 8 (John Jefferson – 1340, Kellen Winslow – 1290, James Lofton – 1226, Charlie Joiner – 1132, Ahmad Rashad – 1095, Steve Largent – 1064, Tony Hill – 1055, Alfred Jenkins – 1035) 

1990: 10 (Jerry Rice (above) – 1502, Henry Ellard – 1294, Andre Rison – 1208, Gary Clark -1112, Sterling Sharpe – 1105, Flipper Anderson – 1097, Haywood Jeffries – 1048, Stephone Paige – 1021, Drew Hill – 1019, Anthony Carter – 1008)

2000: 18 (Torry Holt – 1635, Rod Smith – 1602, Issac Bruce – 1471, Terrell Owens – 1451, Randy Moss – 1437, Marvin Harrison – 1413, Derrick Alexander – 1391, Joe Horn – 1340, Eric Moulds – 1326, Ed McCaffrey – 1317, Cris Carter – 1274, Jimmy Smith – 1213, Keenan McCardell – 1207, Tony Gonzalez – 1203, Muhsin Muhammad – 1183, David Boston – 1156, Tim Brown – 1128, Amani Toomer – 1094) 

2010: 17 (Brandon Lloyd – 1438. Roddy White – 1389. Reggie Wayne – 1355. Greg Jennings – 1265. Mike Wallace – 1265. Andre Johnson – 1216. Dwayne Bowe – 1162. Larry Fitzgerald – 1137. Calvin Johnson – 1120. Santana Moss – 1115. Steve Johnson – 1073. DeSean Jackson – 1056. Hakeem Nicks – 1052. Miles Austin – 1041. Marques Colston – 1023. Brandon Marshall – 1014. Jason Witten – 1002.) 

2020: 18 (Stefon Diggs – 1535. Travis Kelce – 1416. DeAndre Hopkins – 1407. Justin Jefferson – 1400. Davante Adams – 1374. Calvin Ridley – 1374. D.K. Metcalf – 1303. Tyreek Hill – 1276. Allen Robinson – 1250. Darren Waller – 1196. D.J. Moore – 1193. Brandin Cooks – 1150. Terry McLaurin – 1118. Amari Cooper – 1114. Robby Anderson – 1096. A.J. Brown – 1075. Tyler Lockett – 1054. Mike Evans – 1006.) 

Based off the above information, it can be seen that there is a general trend in an increasing number of 1000 yard receivers between 1960 and 2000 and the number of thousand yard receivers staying around the same between 2000 and 2020. Through this sample of data, we can assume that the most significant change in wide receiver use was between 1990 and 2000. 

Who were the game changers?

In assessing the game changing offenses that modernized the game of football, there are many offenses that changed the game. The West Coast Offense, popularized by the 1980s San Francisco 49ers, the K- Gun Offense with the late 1980s and early 1990s Buffalo Bills and Air Coryell with the San Diego Chargers in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

To find the origin of these offenses, we have to go back to the early 1960s with the legendary Sid Gillman.

Sid Gillman was the head coach of the San Diego Chargers in the 1960s where he implemented one of the first pass-heavy offenses.

His offensive schemes consisted primarily of deeper passing routes for receivers over the more common short routes or even quick passes to the halfback. More importantly, this offensive scheme relied on the arm of the quarterback to make deep throws more than relying on the run game. 

In a discussion with his friend and NFL head coach, Dick Vermeil, “Why would you go for a four-yard gain when you can go for 40?”.

This quote personifies Gillman’s offensive philosophy. He saw the potential of the pass game. And was the first to truly implement a deep ball as a primary offensive scheme. Gillman revolutionized the game of football forever.