Justin Jefferson set a new record in yet another game.
Thursday night’s game against the Eagles saw Jefferson surpass 5,000 receiving yards after his fourth catch of the half. He matched Hall of Famer Lance Alworth’s record for the fewest games needed to reach 5K in NFL/AFL history by achieving it in just his 52nd career game.
Alworth set the standard while playing for the San Diego Chargers in the AFL in 1966. 57 years later, Jefferson is only the second pass-catcher in NFL history and the second in pass-catching history overall to reach 5,000 yards in just 52 games.
For Jefferson, who has set multiple records in his first three or more years in the league, this is nothing new. He is just over 500 yards away from breaking Michael Thomas’ record most receiving yards in a player’s first four seasons and has more receiving yards than any other player in league history during their first three seasons.
Jefferson’s fourth season is in its second week.
Jefferson, the 22nd overall choice in the 2020 drafting out of LSU, amassed 1,400 yards as a rookie and increased his output each of the two subsequent seasons. With 1,806 yards, the sixth-highest single-season total in league history, he earned the NFL Offensive Player of the Year honour the previous year.