Five biggest threats to break the NFL single-season record in 2024; Max Crosby for DPOY?

The shift to a pass-focused league has made wide receivers hot commodities on the market. Teams are willing to throw the bag to pass catchers who have the ability to move chains and light up the scoreboards as electric playmakers on the perimeter.

Calvin Johnson enjoyed a Hall of Fame career as a WR1 in Detroit, where he used his superior size, speed and athleticism to beat defenders in space. The three-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowl player dominated the game from day one, especially during his record-breaking campaign in 2012, when he nearly eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark (1964).

While the record has stood for more than a decade, the astonishing numbers the receivers have posted over the past few seasons make Johnson’s mark look weak heading into 2024.

“I mean it’s bound to go down at some point with the way things are going, so it is what it is right now,” Johnson recently told the Detroit Free Press. “I’ve kept it for, I don’t even know how long, over a decade now.”

Last season, 28 pass rushers finished with more than 1,000 yards, including a pair of wideouts who topped 1,700 yards (Tyreek Hill and CeeDee Lamb). With 12 players making 100 or more passes in 2023, it’s only a matter of time before someone breaks Johnson’s record as the ultimate WR1 in a game ruled by passing.

Here are five receivers to consider threats to the throne.