Seven NFL Records That Could Be Broken Soon, Including One of Calvin Johnson’s

Calvin Johnson believes his receiving yards record could be broken soon. What other records are bound to fall in the near future?

Calvin Johnson still holds the single-season receiving yards record. | Raj Mehta-Imagn Images

There are some NFL records that seem destined to last the test of time. Jerry Rice’s career receiving records. Paul Krause’s 81 interceptions. Emmitt Smith’s career rushing yards record.

Other records, however, could fall sooner rather than later. This includes Calvin Johnson’s 2012 single-season receiving record of 1,964 yards, which he told the Detroit Free Press he feels will be broken in “a matter of time.”

Though the NFL has since moved to a 17-game schedule and several receivers including Cooper Kupp and Julio Jones have approached his record, none have passed it yet. Johnson believes Puka Nacua or Justin Jefferson are capable of surpassing the record, though noted the quarterback situation in Minnesota might have gotten in Jefferson’s way thus far.

Besides Johnson’s record, what other records could be broken soon? Here’s a closer look at six other NFL records that could fall in the seasons to come.

NFL Records that could be broken soon

Single-season scrimmage yards record

Top contender to break the record: Bijan Robinson

Bijan Robinson could be chasing touchdowns and records in the years to come. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Bijan Robinson is coming off a season in which he recorded 2,298 yards from scrimmage while earning first-team All-Pro honors—and it only feels like the start. Chris Johnson currently holds the single-season scrimmage yards record of 2,509 yards, a mark he set when he became one of nine running backs in history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season in 2009.

Robinson tallied 1,478 rushing yards and 820 receiving yards in 2025, solidifying he is the kind of dual-threat back capable of contending for the scrimmage yards title. Even if Robinson doesn’t quite surpass Johnson’s record, look for him to potentially become the fourth player in NFL history to record 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. Roger Craig, Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey are the only players that have done this, and Faulk and McCaffrey rank second and third on the single-season scrimmage yards list.

Career receiving yards by a running back

Top contender to break the record: Christian McCaffrey

Christian McCaffrey has been the NFL’s best receiving back since Marshall Faulk. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Hall of Fame Colts and Rams running back Marshall Faulk owns the record for most receiving yards in a career by a running back with 6,875. 49ers back Christian McCaffrey is not far off from that mark. McCaffrey currently has 5,390 career receiving yards, 1,485 short of Faulk. McCaffrey would realistically need at least two more seasons of 750 receiving yards or three more with at least 500 receiving yards to break this mark. This is by no means an easy feat, particularly with McCaffrey turning 30 earlier this month, but between his work ethic and him showing no signs of slowing down, it’s a real possibility for McCaffrey.

Single-season sack record

Top contenders to break the record: Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons

Myles Garrett’s record-breaking 23rd sack of the season. pic.twitter.com/CB7TG1mXQk

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 4, 2026

Myles Garrett just broke the official sack record this past season, surpassing Michael Strahan’s record from 2001 with 23 sacks. Reaching 23 sacks is no easy feat, particularly after Strahan’s record stood for 25 years and only T.J. Watt tied it during that span, but a number of players have recently tallied 20 or more sacks in a season. Garrett, however, called 25 sacks the “next journey” after he broke the record in January. If Garrett doesn’t break his own record, Micah Parsons is another contender to do so. Parsons likely won’t do it this season because he is expected to miss time as he returns from an ACL journey, but could go after that mark in a future season.

Related: Myles Garrett Relied on Big Dreams—and a Little Self-Doubt—to Become the Sack King

Single-season receiving yards record by a tight end

Top contenders to break the record: Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, Colston Loveland

Could Brock Bowers break one of Travis Kelce’s records in the future? | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Not only could the single-season receiving yards record fall soon, but so could the tight end single-season receiving yards record. The NFL is in a golden age for tight ends, as evidenced by the remarkable run of tight ends during Day 2 of the NFL draft. While a number of those tight ends were drafted in part because of their blocking abilities or background as a “Y” tight end, there are still many young, talented pass-catchers at the position.

Travis Kelce currently holds the record with 1,416 yards in 2020. With Trey McBride and Brock Bowers have already surpassing 1,200 yards in a season even without strong quarterback play, look for them and other young tight ends such as the Bears’ Colston Loveland to contend for Kelce’s record in the seasons to come.

Fourth quarter comebacks

Top contender to break the record: Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford could challenge Tom Brady’s fourth quarter comeback record. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

One of the perks of Matthew Stafford spending much of his career with a lowly Lions franchise was that it gave him plenty of opportunities to try and come back late in games. So much so that Stafford is now just seven fourth quarter comebacks away from tying Tom Brady’s all-time record of 46 such comebacks. If Stafford plays for at least two more seasons, breaking this record is more than feasible for him. Of course, he is now on a Rams team that is much better about gaining the lead in the first place, but even the best squads still have to pull out some come-from-behind victories.

One future contender to look out for is Caleb Williams, who has shown a knack for clutch fourth quarterback playmaking through two NFL seasons. He recorded six fourth quarterback comebacks in 2024, two shy of Stafford and Kirk Cousins’s single-season record. Perhaps one day Williams could challenge for the career record, or even the single-season one.

Longest field goal

Top contender to break the record: Cam Little

Perhaps this is cheating because Cam Little already owns the record for the longest field goal ever made, but he appears bound to break his own record. Little has kicked the two longest field goals in NFL history—67 and 68 yards respectively—but has hit from as far as 70 yards in the preseason. It would not be surprising to see the Jaguars give Little the chance to kick one from 70 yards in the regular season in the near future, and the opportunity to create a new record. Little is also entering just his third NFL season, and has plenty of time to set a new mark.

Cam Little in the 2025-2026 season:

🔥 70-YD FG (preseason)
🔥 68-YD FG (NFL record)
🔥 67-YD FG (today)

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/q49BUuj4jg

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 4, 2026

One other kicker that could contend is the Vikings’ Will Reichard, who has become a fan-favorite for his consistency through two seasons. Reichard already set the franchise record with a 62-yard field goal in 2025, and just might have the power to hit one from beyond 68 yards.

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