Calvin Johnson Predicts This WR Will Break His Single-Season NFL Receiving Yards Record

Detroit Lions legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson has held the NFL's single-season receiving yardage record for 14 years, but he envisions his mark potentially falling in the near future.

Speaking Monday to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Johnson named Los Angeles Rams All-Pro wideout Puka Nacua as the player with the best chance to eclipse him.

"He's still got [quarterback] Matthew [Stafford], so I think he's got a shot," Johnson said of Nacua. "If he stays healthy, that dude's a killer out there."

Fittingly, when Johnson set the receiving record in 2012 with 1,964 yards, Stafford was his quarterback.

The enormity of Stafford potentially guiding another receiver to NFL history was not lost on Johnson, who added, "That would be kind of dope. I'd have to go to that game if he did that, 'cause I like Puka. He's getting some crap out of his system that's just a young guy, just learning, but I think he's an awesome, dynamic receiver."

In three seasons since the Rams stole him in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft out of BYU, Nacua has firmly established himself as one of the top pass-catchers in the league.

He burst onto the scene as a rookie with 105 receptions for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns before seeing his numbers dip to 79 catches for 990 yards and three touchdowns in 2024 due to missing six games with injuries.

The 25-year-old Nacua was at his best last season, though, setting career highs across the board with 129 grabs for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to being named a Pro Bowler and First Team All-Pro.

Nacua played a big role in Stafford winning his first career NFL MVP Award, and that combo is expected to do significant advantage once again in 2026.

Last season, Nacua finished about 250 yards behind Johnson's single-season receiving record, and he did it while missing one game.

Nacua has the advantage of a 17-game season compared to the 16-game campaigns Megatron used to play, so if Puka can stay healthy and perform at a level similar to last season, he has a chance to etch his name in the NFL history books in 2026.