Falcons release Roddy White. Colts dump Andre Johnson. And the 49ers appear to be moving on form Anquan Boldin. These guys have all been great wide receivers, but trouble is time marches on. It’s tough for wide receivers to remain elite players as they move into their mid-30s.
In this century (since 2000), we have seen 230 wide receivers catch 80-plus passes in a season. The ripe age for this kind of big season is around 25-28 years old. That’s where you tend to see the best production.
Of those 230 season, only 10 were achieved by players who were 33 years old. Another 10 were achieved by guys who were 34-36 years old, and Jerry Rice did it at 39 and 40.
Breakdown looks like this.
| 80-CATCH SEASONS | |
|---|---|
| Age | Number |
| 22 | 9 |
| 23 | 11 |
| 24 | 16 |
| 25 | 26 |
| 26 | 28 |
| 27 | 25 |
| 28 | 25 |
| 29 | 21 |
| 30 | 17 |
| 31 | 16 |
| 32 | 12 |
| 33 | 10 |
| 34 | 7 |
| 35 | 3 |
| 36 | 2 |
| 39 | 1 |
| 40 | 1 |
It’s not easy. You want guys who have been around for a few years to learn the ropes, but who are still young and in their prime – like Julio Jones and Antonio Brown last year.
So the odds of seeing another 60-catch season out of White or Johnson look pretty slim. Both seem to be slowing down, and once that sets in, it’s probably best to move on.
Of the 24 wide receivers in this century who’ve caught 80-plus passes in a season at 33-plus years old, only five have come back and gone over 80 catches again the next season.
| 33-YEAR-OLDS WITH 80-PLUS CATCHES | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Age | Team | No | Rec | TD | Next Yr |
| 2012 | Reggie Wayne | 34 | Ind. | 106 | 1,355 | 5 | 38-503-2 |
| 2007 | Derrick Mason | 33 | Balt. | 103 | 1,087 | 5 | 80-1037-5 |
| 2005 | Joey Galloway | 34 | T.B. | 102 | 1,331 | 9 | 62-1057-7 |
| 2000 | Cris Carter | 35 | Minn. | 96 | 1,274 | 9 | 73-871-6 |
| 2006 | Marvin Harrison | 34 | Ind. | 95 | 1,366 | 12 | 20-247-1 |
| 2009 | Hines Ward | 33 | Pitt. | 95 | 1,167 | 6 | 59-755-5 |
| 2007 | Bobby Engram | 34 | Sea. | 94 | 1,147 | 6 | 47-489-0 |
| 2002 | Jerry Rice | 40 | Oak. | 92 | 1,211 | 7 | 63-869-2 |
| 2001 | Tim Brown | 35 | Oak. | 91 | 1,165 | 10 | 81-930-2 |
| 2005 | Jimmy Smith | 36 | Jac. | 86 | 1,073 | 3 | retire |
| 2014 | Andre Johnson | 33 | Hou. | 85 | 936 | 3 | 41-503-4 |
| 2006 | Terrell Owens | 33 | Dall. | 85 | 1,180 | 13 | 81-1355-15 |
| 2013 | Anquan Boldin | 33 | S.F. | 85 | 1,179 | 7 | 83-1062-5 |
| 2003 | Keenan McCardell | 33 | T.B. | 84 | 1,174 | 9 | 31-393-1 |
| 2005 | Rod Smith | 35 | Den. | 83 | 1,055 | 5 | 52-512-3 |
| 2014 | Anquan Boldin | 34 | S.F. | 83 | 1,062 | 5 | 69-789-4 |
| 2001 | Jerry Rice | 39 | Oak. | 83 | 1,139 | 9 | 92-1211-7 |
| 2005 | Marvin Harrison | 33 | Ind. | 82 | 1,146 | 12 | 95-1366-12 |
| 2002 | Tim Brown | 36 | Oak. | 81 | 930 | 2 | 52-567-2 |
| 2007 | Terrell Owens | 34 | Dall. | 81 | 1,355 | 15 | 69-1052-10 |
| 2005 | Keyshawn Johnson | 33 | Dall. | 81 | 816 | 4 | 70-815-5 |
| 2014 | Roddy White | 33 | Atl. | 80 | 921 | 7 | 43-506-1 |
| 2002 | Jimmy Smith | 33 | Jac. | 80 | 1,027 | 7 | 54-805-4 |
| 2008 | Derrick Mason | 34 | Balt. | 80 | 1,037 | 5 | 73-1028-7 |
On all ages here, I'm showing age at the end of the season -- age on Dec. 31 of the calendar year.
—Ian Allan