Dec. 28 could be the day when what is perhaps the NFL’s most coveted and well-known defensive record falls – Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett needing just one sack to eclipse the single-season standard of 22½ set by Hall of Famer Michael Strahan nearly a quarter of a century ago (with an assist from Brett Favre) and matched by the Pittsburgh Steelers’ T.J. Watt in 2021. And it’s noteworthy that Garrett could reset the bar in his 16th game given the regular season expanded to 17 contests in 2021 − though it must be acknowledged that Watt only actually played in 15 the year when he matched Strahan.
Yet Garrett is hardly the only star seeking entry into the league’s record book as the 2025 campaign winds down and certainly not the only one who could benefit from the expanded schedule. Here are six other stars (and one team) chasing history of their own, some of these marks in much more immediate jeopardy than others:
Trey McBride – most receptions by a tight end in a season
The Washington Commanders’ Zach Ertz broke new ground seven years ago, hauling in 116 balls when he was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. McBride, the Arizona Cardinals’ two-time Pro Bowler – and, arguably, their best player – needs eight more grabs over the final two weeks to overtake Ertz’s benchmark. (UPDATE: McBride broke the record in Sunday’s loss at Cincinnati, his 10 receptions putting him at 119.)
Christian McCaffrey – most 1,000-1,000-yard seasons
In 2019, CMC joined Roger Craig and Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk as the only players to gain 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. With 151 yards through the air over his final two games, McCaffrey would become the first to accomplish the feat multiple times.
Christian McCaffrey – most receiving yards by a running back in a season
He’d need an even 200 in the next two games to top Faulk’s mark (1,048) in the Super Bowl era, which began in 1966.
Denver Broncos – most sacks by a team in a season
The 1985 Chicago Bears are immortalized as perhaps the greatest squad to ever grace a football field. But it was the ’84 Bears who racked up 72 sacks, the most ever by one club. The 2025 Denver Broncos have slowed down in that department lately but have 64 of their own. They’d need quite a performance in the regular-season finale to catch Da Bears, but it’s possible.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua – most receiving yards in a season
They’re long shots. But with JSN’s Seattle Seahawks and Nacua’s Los Angeles Rams both in the thick of the NFC West race – and each pursuing home-field advantage and a first-round playoff bye – they certainly have reasons to put on big-time performances over the next two weeks. Smith-Njigba leads the league with 1,637 receiving yards, while Nacua, who missed Week 7 with an ankle injury, has 1,592. Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson – Megatron – set the record in 2012 with 1,964 yards. Nacua has eclipsed 170 in three outings this year, including a career-high 225 in his most recent one – the epic 39-38 loss to Smith-Njigba’s Seahawks. JSN hasn’t hit 170 in a game in 2025 but has surpassed 160 twice. But given none of us his teammates are within 1,000 yards of him, he could go off at any time as the lone guy Pro Bowl QB Sam Darnold routinely feeds.
Josh Allen – most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season
The reigning MVP, who shares the record with Jalen Hurts – they jointly set it in 2023 with 15 – needs four more to break it anew … though Allen could be limited by a bum foot.
Bijan Robinson – most yards from scrimmage in a season
The Atlanta Falcons star leads the NFL with 2,026 combined rushing and receiving yards. It would take some serious doing to bypass Chris Johnson, who had 2,509 in 2009 – CJ2K is still the only player to hit the 2,500 plateau. But funny things happen in prime time, and Robinson’s Falcons host the Rams on Monday night … and have little left to play for aside from playing spoiler and maybe chasing outrageous numbers. Keep an eye on No. 7.
