Minnesota Vikings Career Receiving Yardage Leaders

With his career numbers in mind, it’s startling to think that Justin Jefferson is just getting started. That amazing start and recent deserved, giant contract extension got me thinking about his place in Minnesota Vikings career receiving history. This is a franchise that boasts an impressive receiver legacy. It’s a legacy topped by two of the greatest receivers in league history, Cris Carter and Randy Moss. Those two legends set a very high bar for the position. Prior to the 2020 NFL Draft, I never thought I’d see another Vikings receiver approach Carter and Moss. Then along came Justin Jefferson. Here’s a look at the franchise career  receiving yardage leaders. 

Minnesota Vikings Career Receiving Yardage Leaders

Rank	Player	Yards
1	Cris Carter	12383
2	Randy Moss	9316
3	Anthony Carter	7636
4	Adam Thielen	6682
5	Jake Reed	6433
6	Sammy White	6400
7	Steve Jordan	6307
8	Justin Jefferson	5899
9	Ahmad Rashad	5489
10	Stefon Diggs	4623
11	Kyle Rudolph	4488
12	Hassan Jones	3733
13	Percy Harvin	3302
14	John Gilliam	3297
15	Paul Flatley	3222
16	Bill Brown	3177
17	Gene Washington	3087
18	Chuck Foreman	3057
19	Leo Lewis	2924
20	Ted Brown	2850

Imagine if Justin Jefferson hadn’t missed about half of the 2023 season. Even with a greatly shortened season, he still gained 1074 yards. A full season? He’d probably be somewhere between Anthony Carter and Adam Thielen. Jefferson has gained 5899 yards in only about 3.5 games.

Jefferson’s four seasons:

2020: 1400

2021: 1616

2022: 1809

2023: 1074

2000 yards was a target last year. He was certainly on pace for it, before and after that hamstring injury. 2000 yards is surely a target this season. That would put Jefferson right behind only Carter and Moss on the Vikings career receiving yardage list. If Jefferson can avoid injuries and continue to churn out yardage at his current pace, he’s only about three years from passing Carter. In only seven seasons, he’d accomplish something that took Carter 12 years. Incredible. It’s a very different time in the league’s passing game evolution but that’s incredible. Justin Jefferson is incredible. 

It’s wonderful to see 1970s receiving greats Ahmad Rashad and Sammy White in the Top 10. Talk about a different time in the league’s passing game evolution. Each had their best seasons while corners could do to receivers anything short of bringing a bat on the field. 

Speaking of old-timers, Paul Flatley, Bill Brown, and Gene Washington gained most, or all, of their receiving yardage in the 1960s. Some 1960s corners did bring weapons on the field. 

John Gilliam had an impressive four-year run in Minnesota. That’s best seen in his average yards per catch:

1972: 22.0

1973: 21.6

1974: 22.2

1075: 15.5

Those 20-yard averages simply aren’t seen anymore. It wasn’t seen too often then. The 22.0 led the league. He was named to the Pro Bowl each of his four seasons in Minnesota. Gilliam is one of the most underrated receivers, and football players, in Vikings franchise history. 

Seeing running backs Bill Brown, Chuck Foreman, and Ted Brown on this list is a reminder that the Vikings paced the league’s evolution of the position in the passing game. Before those Jerry Burns-led offenses, there were scattered backs across the league with dual running-receiving roles. After those Burns-led offenses, it became a league-wide staple. 

Hassan Jones and Leo Lewis were sneaky, solid receivers for the Vikings. They mostly played in the shadow of Anthony Carter. 

Speaking of Anthony Carter, he has a Hall of Fame argument. Perhaps, one day the voters will get smart and listen to it.