Milestones and Records to Watch in 2020

RiversColts1050

As the National Football League kicks off its 2020 season, plenty of uncertainty is swirling around each of the 32 teams — from new coaches to new players in key positions to the challenges of pulling off a full season amid a global pandemic.

But one thing is certain: If games are played, some individual records will be broken. Other benchmarks will be raised or streaks extended.

Impressive season and career milestones will be achieved this season on both offense and defense. Here are some to look for this season:


Atlanta Falcons

  • Julio Jones, needs 1,151 receiving yards to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (13,275 yards) for the most receiving yards through a player’s first 10 seasons in NFL history.
  • Julio Jones, could become the first player with at least 1,250 receiving yards in seven consecutive seasons in NFL history.
  • Julio Jones, needs at least 100 receptions and 1,500 receiving yards to become the first player to reach those marks in four different seasons in NFL history.
  • Matt Ryan, needs 3,643 passing yards to surpass Peyton Manning (54,828 yards) for the most passing yards through a player’s first 13 seasons in NFL history.

Baltimore Ravens

  • Team will be wearing a 25th Anniversary patch
  • Lamar Jackson, needs four games with at least 100 rushing yards to tie Michael Vick (10 games) for the most such games by a quarterback in NFL history.

Buffalo Bills

  • Josh Allen, needs eight rushing touchdowns to become the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for at least eight touchdowns in three consecutive seasons.

Carolina Panthers

  • Christian McCaffrey, needs at least 1,000 receiving and 1,000 rushing yards to become the first player in NFL history to accomplish the feat in multiple seasons.

Cleveland Browns

  • Jarvis Landry, needs 80 receptions to become the first player in NFL history to record at least 80 receptions in each of his first seven seasons.
  • Jarvis Landry, needs 102 receptions to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (665) for the most receptions through a player’s first seven seasons in NFL history.
  • Baker Mayfield, with at least 3,500 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes, Mayfield would join Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning as the only players to do so in each of their first three seasons in league history.

Chicago Bears

  • The franchise is 14 wins from 800 all-time wins

Dallas Cowboys

  • Team will be wearing a 60th Anniversary Patch
  • Dak Prescott, with 4,841 yards will surpass Peyton Manning for the most passing yards in a quarterback’s first five seasons

Detroit Lions

  • Adrian Peterson, needs 1,053 yards to surpass Barry Sanders (15,269) for fourth in career rushing.
  • Adrian Peterson, needs 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 13 rushing touchdowns to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen (123) for third place on the all-time rushing touchdown list.

Houston Texans

  • Deshaun Watson, needs 21 touchdown passes and six rushing touchdowns to become the first player in NFL history with at least 100 passing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns in his first four seasons.
  • Deshaun Watson, needs 25 touchdown passes and five rushing touchdowns to become the first player in NFL history to accomplish the feat in three consecutive seasons.

Indianapolis Colts

  • Philip Rivers, 3 touchdown passes to become the sixth player in NFL history with 400. Rivers enters 2020 with 397.
  • Philip Rivers, needs 2,091 passing yards to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (61,361) for fifth place on the all-time passing-yards list.

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Travis Kelce, needs 1,000 receiving yards to become the first tight end in NFL history with five career seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards.
  • Travis Kelce, has at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of the past four seasons. Needs 90 receptions to become the first tight end in NFL history to record at least 90 receptions in three consecutive seasons. Kelce had 103 receptions in 2018 and 97 receptions in 2019.
  • Patrick Mahomes, can become the first quarterback in NFL history to reach 10,000 career passing yards in 35-or-fewer games. Mahomes enters 2020 with 9,412 passing yards in 31 career games.

Green Bay Packers

  • The Green Bay Packers can be the first team in NFL history with 800 wins. The franchise currently has 791 wins.
  • Aaron Rodgers, needs 3,054 passing yards to become the 11th quarterback to reach 50,000 career passing yards in NFL history.

Los Angeles Rams

  • The franchise needs two wins to reach 600.

Miami Dolphins

  • Team will be wearing a patch to honor Don Shula.

Minnesota Vikings

  • Team will be wearing a 60th Anniversary Decal
  • Danielle Hunter, could join Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White (1986-88, 1990-92) and Jared Allen (2007-09) as the only players with at least 14 sacks in three consecutive seasons since 1982, when the individual sack became an official NFL statistic. Hunter recorded 14.5 sacks in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

New Orleans Saints

  • Drew Brees, needs 9 pass attempts to surpass Brett Favre (10,169) for most in NFL history.
  • Alvin Kamara, New Orleans, needs at least 500 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards to become the first player in NFL history to have at least 500 rushing and receiving yards in each of his first four seasons.
  • Michael Thomas, needs 90 receptions to become the first player in NFL history with at least 90 receptions in each of his first five seasons. Needs 1,273 receiving yards to surpass Torry Holt (6,784 receiving yards) for the most receiving yards in a player’s first five seasons in NFL history. Thomas enters 2020 with 5,512 career receiving yards.
  • Michael Thomas, needs 12 receptions to surpass Jarvis Landry (481 receptions) for the most receptions in a player’s first five seasons in NFL history. Thomas enters 2020 with 470 receptions.

New York Jets

  • Team will be wearing patch honoring Betty Wold Johnson

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Zach Ertz, needs 93 receptions to surpass Jason Witten (617) for the most receptions by a tight end in his first eight seasons in NFL history.

San Francisco 49ers

  • George Kittle, needs 919 receiving yards to surpass Jimmy Graham (3,863) for the most receiving yards by a tight end in his first four seasons in NFL history. Kittle has 2,945 receiving yards in 45 career games.
  • George Kittle, needs 84 receptions to join Jimmy Graham (301) as the only tight ends in NFL history with at least 300 receptions in their first four seasons. Kittle has 216 receptions in his first three seasons.

Seattle Seahawks

  • Russell Wilson, needs seven wins to surpass Tom Brady (101) for the most wins, including the postseason, by a quarterback in his first nine seasons in NFL history. Wilson has won 95 games, including the postseason, since entering the NFL in 2012.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • LeSean McCoy, needs 281 yards to surpass John Riggins (11,352) for 19th in career rushing.
  • Tom Brady, is 7 passing TDs behind Drew Brees for most all time.
  • Tom Brady, needs three wins to surpass Adam Vinatieri (221 wins) for the most wins by any player in NFL history.
  • Tom Brady, needs 16 starts to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre (298 games) for the most games started by a quarterback in NFL history.
  • Tom Brady, needs one Pro Bowl berth to surpass Peyton Manning (14) and Pro Football Hall of Famers Tony Gonzalez (14), Bruce Matthews (14) and Merlin Olsen (14) for the most Pro Bowl berths in NFL history.
  • Mike Evans, needs 1,000 receiving yards to become the first player in NFL history to begin his career with seven consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons
  • Rob Gronkowski, needs 1,000 receiving yards to become the first tight end in NFL history with five career 1,000-yard seasons.
  • Rob Gronkowski, needs four games with at least 100 receiving yards to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (31 games) for the most such games by a tight end in NFL history.