In 2002, Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison shattered the single-season reception record, moving the bar from 123 to 143. Sixteen years later, Vikings receiver Adam Thielen is on pace to nudge the thing upward by more than 10.
Through six games in 2018, Thielen has 58 catches. That’s more than any player has ever had through six games in league history, and it puts him on pace for 154 for the season.
Sure, he has to keep it up for 10 more games. Given the struggles of the Minnesota running attack (that said, Latavius Murray had 155 yards on Sunday), Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins will likely continue to feed Thielen aggressively.
With 11 catches for 123 yards on Sunday, Thielen also has a league-leading 712 receiving yards. He also has the longest streak of 100-yard games to start a season in the Super Bowl era, and he’s one game shy of the all-time mark of seven, set by Charley Hennigan of the AFL’s Houston Oilers.
Not bad for a guy who’s averaging only $4.8 million on his current contract. It’s safe to say that will be changing after the current campaign.