2019 NFL Milestones & Record Breakers

The Pro Football Hall of Fame fulfills its Mission in many ways: 

• Honor the Heroes of the Game
• Preserve Its History
• Promote Its Values
• Celebrate Excellence Everywhere.

The Hall tracks all potential milestones and records that could be achieved during the 2019 NFL season, led by Curator Jason Aikens, "As the only nationally accredited sports museum in the country, we travel to game sites when a milestone occurs in order to procure the artifact associated with that record (Ball, Game Jersey, Gloves, etc.). The artifact is then placed on display at the Hall of Fame." If you have artifacts that you think are a part of football history, please contact [email protected]. to make a tax-deductible donation.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker often travels to be onsite for historical occasions to honor these special moments. One recent instance was when he was in New Orleans as Saints QB Drew Brees set the NFL's career passing yards record on a 62-yard touchdown pass during Monday Night Football last October. Baker had on the standard “white gloves” in accepting the ball to help preserve the artifact.

For more information and real-time behind the scenes video and photos of history in the making follow us on social media (@ProFootballHOF - Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).

 

 

 

Milestones and Records to Look for and Collect in 2019

 

Arizona Cardinals

• Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona, needs 23 receptions to surpass Tony Gonzalez (1,325) for second on the NFL’s all-time list. Jerry Rice (1,549) holds the career record. Fitzgerald enters 2019 No. 3 with 1,303.

Atlanta Falcons

• Matt Ryan, Atlanta, needs 3,280 passing yards to become the 10th player ever to reach 50,000.

Buffalo Bills

• Frank Gore, Buffalo, needs 522 rushing yards to surpass No. 3 Barry Sanders (15,269) on the all-time list. Gore enters 2019 at No. 4 with 14,748.

Carolina Panthers

• Christian McCaffrey, Carolina, needs 52 receptions to surpass LaDainian Tomlinson (238 from 2001-03) for the most catches by a running back over his first three seasons. McCaffrey enters 2019 with 187 receptions over his first two campaigns.
   
• Carolina Panthers will be wearing a 25th Season Patch

Chicago Bears

• Opening kickoff football for Week 1 to start the 100th Season
   
• Chicago Bears will be wearing 100th Season patch

Cleveland Browns

• Jarvis Landry, Cleveland, needs 48 receptions to establish the NFL record for catches over a player’s first six seasons, breaking the mark held by DeAndre Hopkins (528, 2013-18). Landry enters 2019 with 481 receptions over his first five years, 2014-18.
   
• Baker Mayfield, Cleveland, needs a touchdown pass in each of his first 11 starts to break Kurt Warner’s NFL-record string of career-opening starts with a TD pass. The Pro Football Hall of Famer established the mark over his first 23 NFL starts, from 1999-2000. Mayfield enters 2019 with a 13-start streak.
   
• Baker Mayfield, 23 passing touchdowns to become the seventh ever to reach 50 in his first two seasons. He needs 26 to surpass No. 2 David Carr (52, 2015-16) and 42 to surpass No. 1 Dan Marino (68, 1983-84) for most ever over a player’s initial two years. Mayfield threw for 27 as a 2018 rookie.

Denver Broncos

• Von Miller, Denver, needs two sacks for 100 career. Miller opens the season with 98, while Cameron Wake (98) and J.J. Watt (92) also are approaching 100. Terrell Suggs (132.5) leads all active players.

Detroit Lions

• Matthew Stafford, Detroit, needs 1,474 passing yards to reach 40,000. He needs to accomplish that feat within his first nine games to become fastest in NFL history to reach that mark. Matt Ryan holds the record (151 games). Stafford enters 2019 with 38,526 yards in 141 games.

Green Bay Packers

• Green Bay Packers will be wearing No. 15 patch to honor Bart Starr

Houston Texans

• J.J. Watt, Houston, could earn a fourth AP Defensive Player of the Year Award. No other player has won more than three. He enters 2019 with three, tied with Lawrence Taylor (1981-82, 1986) for most all-time.
   
• J.J. Watt, Eight sacks for 100 in career. Entering 2019, only 32 players have reached the milestone. Watt opens the season with 92, while Von Miller and Cameron Wake (each with 98) also are approaching 100. Terrell Suggs (132.5) leads all active players.
   
• J.J. Watt, 15 sacks to tie Reggie White’s NFL record of five 15-sack seasons. Watt hit that plateau in 2012 (20.5), 2014 (20.5), 2015 (17.5) and 2018 (16).
   
• Houston Texans will be wearing a “RCM” jersey patch and helmet decal to honor Bob McNair.

Indianapolis Colts

• Adam Vinatieri, 20 field-goal attempts to surpass Morten Andersen (709) for most all-time. He enters 2019 No. 2 on the all-time list, with 690 career attempts.

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Jacksonville Jaguars will be wearing a 25th season patch.

Los Angeles Chargers

• Michael Badgley, L.A. Chargers, could establish the best field-goal percentage by a player over his first two NFL seasons, with a minimum 25 attempts. Badgley (.938) made 15 of 16 field-goal attempts as a 2018 rookie. Baltimore’s Justin Tucker (.919, 68-for-74 from 2012-13) holds the record.
   
• Philip Rivers, 26 touchdown passes to become the sixth in NFL history with 400. Rivers enters 2019 with 374

Los Angeles Rams

• Aaron Donald, L.A. Rams, could become the first player in history to earn three consecutive AP Defensive Player of the Year honors. Donald enters 2019 having captured the last two awards (2017-18) and with a third overall would tie J.J. Watt (2012, 2014-15) and Lawrence Taylor (1981-82, 1986) for most all time.
   
• Aqib Talib, L.A. Rams, needs one interception-return touchdown to tie No. 2 Darren Sharper and Charles Woodson (11), and two to tie No. 1 Rod Woodson (12) on the all-time list. Talib enters 2019 at No. 4 with 10 career.

New England Patriots

• New England Patriots need 10 wins to reach 17 consecutive season with 10 victories and break a tie with San Francisco (16 from 1983-98) for the longest streak in league history.
   
• New England Patriots need three wins to reach 116 since the start of 2010 and break the Indianapolis Colts’ NFL record for victories in a decade (115, 2000-09).
   
• New England Patriots will be wearing a Super Bowl LIII championship patch for opening weekend.
   
• Bill Belichick, Eight wins to reach 300 career (regular and postseason) and become just the third coach to achieve that mark, joining Don Shula (347) and George Halas (324). Belichick enters 2019 No. 3 on the all-time list with 292.
   
• Tom Brady, 23 touchdown passes to eclipse No. 1 Peyton Manning (539). No. 2 Drew Brees enters 2019 with 520. Brady enters 2019 No. 3 on the all-time list with 517.
   
• Tom Brady, 35 touchdown passes to reach five such seasons and surpass Peyton Manning (four) for most in NFL history. Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers also enter 2019 with four 35-TD seasons.
   
• Tom Brady, To lead the NFL in touchdown passes to establish an NFL record. Brady enters 2019 having led the league in the category on four occasions, tied with Drew Brees, Len Dawson, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Johnny Unitas and Steve Young for most in history.
   
• Stephen Gostkowski, New England, needs to lead the league in scoring to break a tie with Don Hutson (five) and Gino Cappelletti (five, AFL) for most seasons with that distinction. Gostkowski has paced the NFL five times: 2008, 2012-15.
   
• Matthew Slater, New England, needs one Pro Bowl invitation as a special-teams player to reach eight and break a tie with Steve Tasker (seven, 1987-1990-95) for most in NFL annals. Slater enters 2019 having earned seven Pro Bowl honors (2011-17).

New Orleans Saints

• Drew Brees, New Orleans, needs 20 touchdown passes to surpass No. 1 Peyton Manning (539) on the all-time list. Brees enters 2019 with 520, second in NFL history.
   
• Drew Brees, 387 pass attempts to eclipse No. 1 Brett Favre (10,169) on the all-time list. Brees enters 2019 No. 2 all-time with 9,783.
   
• Michael Thomas, New Orleans, needs 90 receptions to become the only NFL player ever to reach 90 in each of his first four seasons. To date, Thomas (2016-18) and Odell Beckham Jr. (2014-16) are the only players ever to catch 90 passes in each of their first three NFL seasons.
   
• Michael Thomas, 80 catches to break the NFL record held by Jarvis Landry (400) for most receptions by a player in his first four seasons. Thomas enters 2019 with 321 receptions.

New York Jets

• New York Jets to debut a new uniform

Oakland Raiders

• Oakland Raiders will be wearing a 60th season patch.
   
• Antonio Brown, 91 receptions to break Marvin Harrison’s NFL record (927, 1996-2005) for most receptions over a player’s first 10 seasons. Brown enters 2019 with 837.
   
• Antonio Brown, 100 receptions to capture sole possession of the NFL record with a seventh 100-catch season. Brown enters 2019 with six such seasons, tied with Brandon Marshall (2007-09, 2012-13 and 2015).
   
• Derek Carr, Oakland, needs 370 completions to surpass Peyton Manning (2,128) for most in his first six seasons. Carr enters 2019 with the most completions (1,759) ever over a player’s first five campaigns.

San Francisco 49ers

• George Kittle, who has 1,892 receiving yards in his first two NFL seasons, needs 883 receiving yards in 2019 to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer MIKE DITKA (2,774 receiving yards) for the most receiving yards by a tight end in his first three seasons in NFL history.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Mike Evans, 965 receiving yards to surpass No. 10 Larry Fitzgerald (7,067 from 2004-09) on the NFL’s list of most receiving yards over a player’s first six seasons since 1970. Evans enters 2019 with 6,103 yards in five seasons.

Tennessee Titans

• Cameron Wake, Tennessee, needs two sacks for 100 career. Wake opens the season with 98, while Von Miller (98) and J.J. Watt (92) also are approaching 100. Terrell Suggs (132.5) leads all active players.

Washington Redskins

• Adrian Peterson, Washington, needs 784 yards rushing to surpass No. 5 Curtis Martin (14,101). Peterson enters 2019 with 13,318, eighth all time.
   
• Adrian Peterson, one rushing touchdown to surpass No. 5 Jim Brown (106) on the all-time list and five to surpass No. 4 Walter Payton (110). Peterson enters 2019 tied with Brown at 106.
   
• Adrian Peterson, one game of 200 yards rushing to reach seven career and break O.J. Simpson’s NFL record (six). Peterson enters 2019 with six 200-yard games, tied with Simpson.
   
• Adrian Peterson, needs five 100-yard rushing games to surpass No. 6 Jim Brown (58). Peterson enters 2019 at No. 8 with 54, 100-yard rushing games.