Los Angeles wide-receiver, Cooper Kupp, had one of, if not the best single seasons for a wide-receiver this past season.
Kupp won the triple crown leading the league in receptions (145) receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16.) Kupp is the first wide receiver to win the triple crown since Steve Smith back in 2005. With 1,947 receiving yards, Kupp fell just 18 yards short of breaking the single-season receiving yard record. Kupp is now the fifth player in history to be a triple-crown winner and joins the company of Sterling Sharpe, Jerry Rice, and Steve Smith.
Let’s compare each of the triple-crown winner’s stats for their historic seasons:
Sterling Sharpe’s triple crown season included 108 receptions, 1,461 yards, and 13 touchdowns. Jerry Rice’s triple crown season saw 100 receptions, 1,502 yards, and 15 touchdowns. In Steve Smith’s triple crown season, he piled up 103 receptions, 1,563 yards, and 12 touchdowns.
Other historic wide-receiver single seasons include Randy Moss’ 2007 campaign where he and Tom Brady connected for a single-season record 23 receiving touchdowns. Moss added 98 receptions on the season with 1,493 yards.
If you look at the numbers collectively, Kupp had the best single-season in history. Kupp had more receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns than any of those four players had when they won the triple-crown. Yes, it helped that the NFL expanded the season to 17 games this year, but Kupp still surpassed all of their numbers with 16 games.
Kupp’s 2021 season was highlighted by monster games in Week 7 against Detroit (10 receptions, 156 yards, 2 touchdowns) Week 2 against Indianapolis (9 receptions, 163 yards, 2 touchdowns), and Week 6 against the Giants (12 receptions, 130 yards, 2 touchdowns.)
Kupp’s 145 receptions were 22 more than Davante Adams who finished second. His 1,947 receiving yards were 300 more than Justin Jefferson’s second-place finish. Kupp’s 16 receiving touchdowns were two more than the second-place Mike Evans who had 14.
Matthew Stafford Is No Stranger to Historic Seasons
Rams quarterback, Matthew Stafford accounted for two of the best wide-receiver single seasons in history with Kupp’s incredible 2021-2022 season and Calvin Johnson’s historic 2012 season.
In 2012, the Detroit Lions led by Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson made history. In a 16-game season, Johnson broke Jerry Rice’s record for most receiving yards in a single season when he had 1,964 receiving yards. Rice’s previous record of 1,848 yards stood for 17 years and he did it in a 14-game season. Stafford threw for an NFL record 727 attempts that season while adding 4,960 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Fast forward eight years later, and Stafford is on the throwing end of another historic receiving season by Kupp. Stafford threw his third-most passing yards in a single season this year with 4,886 and tied a career-high in touchdown passes with 41. It’s safe to say Stafford definitely contributed to Kupp’s success.
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Thank you for reading my article on Cooper Kupp’s historic season. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @RobGullo97 and follow @OTH_Football for more NFL news and updates!
