While the Indianapolis Colts Adam Vinatieri is set to become the NFL’s 3rd all-time leading scorer this season, another member of the team in recently added wideout Andre Johnson will be looking to make his own NFL career milestone (via NFL.com):
"“In week 16 of 2014, Andre Johnson became the 10th receiver in NFL history to record 1,000 receptions. He is the second quickest player to hit the 1,000 reception mark, doing it in just 168 games. Marvin Harrison reached the milestone in 167 games. Johnson is currently 9th on the all-time receptions list. However, a mere 91 receptions with the Indianapolis Colts would bolster Johnson all the way up to the No. 3 spot on the all-time reception list behind only Jerry Rice (1,549) and Tony Gonzalez (1,325).”"
The longtime former Houston Texan only needs 91 receptions to surpass another Colts wide receiver great in Marvin Harrison for 3rd all-time on the NFL receptions list. Currently, Johnson has 1,012 career receptions (9th all-time) to Harrison’s 1,102 (3rd all-time):
Considering that Johnson still had 85 receptions last year despite suffering from shaky starting quarterback play with the Texans, 91 receptions seems certainly attainable for next season. In fact, over the last 3 seasons, Johnson has averaged 102 receptions per season, so it seems like a fairly realistic benchmark for the 34 year old wideout.
Jun 9, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Andre Johnson (81) catches a pass during minicamp at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
While there are a multitude of receiving options in the Colts passing game, Johnson will also get the luxury of playing with an elite quarterback in Andrew Luck for the first time in his future Hall of Fame career. Johnson looks to fill the possession wideout role to complement T.Y. Hilton‘s deep threat ability, meaning that he should be in-line for a good amount of receptions.
For comparison purposes, a 34 year old Reggie Wayne caught 106 receptions for the Colts in 2014, playing the possession wideout role that has now been seemingly filled by his former Miami Hurricane teammate in Johnson. It’s worth noting that Johnson figures to pass Wayne as well, who is currently 7th all-time on the NFL career receptions list with 1,070 receptions.
It’s easy to forget how impressive Johnson has been during his 13 year NFL career, despite oftentimes suffering from inconsistent starting quarterback play with the Texans. He’s had one of the most decorated receiving careers in NFL history and should be Canton-bound for sure. For the 4x All-Pro and 7x Pro Bowler, all that’s seemingly left is winning an elusive Super Bowl championship.
While “receiving king” Jerry Rice appears safely out of reach with 1,549 career receptions, Johnson could potentially surpass Tony Gonzalez 2nd all-time 1,325 career receptions with 3 more productive seasons, who he trails by 313 catches. At the very least, it appears he should be topping Marvin Harrison for 3rd all-time in NFL career receptions this season.
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