Okay, football fans, let’s be real. We all love seeing records get smashed. It’s what makes sports so exciting, right? That feeling of witnessing something truly special. But, let’s face it, the record-breaking scene hasn’t been as wild as we might have hoped this season.

Remember Mike Evans? The dude was on a mission for his 12th straight season with over 1,000 receiving yards. That would’ve been insane, beating out the legendary Jerry Rice. But, ouch, a hamstring injury early on, followed by a broken clavicle. Just like that, his shot at history was gone. Brutal.

But hey, don’t get bummed out yet! Even though Mike’s out of the record race, there are still some players (and even coaches and teams!) who are nipping at the heels of some pretty big NFL records. It’s not like offenses are going absolutely bonkers this year, but there’s still a chance we could see some names etched in the history books.

So, let’s dive into who’s got a shot at glory as we hit the midway point of the season!

Jaxon Smith-Njigba — Single-Season Receiving Yards: Is Megatron’s Record in Danger?

Alright, Seattle fans, get excited! Jaxon Smith-Njigba is having a year. Seriously. He’s leading the league with 819 receiving yards as the Seahawks head into their bye week. Now, he’s not quite on pace to beat Wes Chandler’s insane 127.0 yards-per-game record from way back in ’82. But… he’s on track to potentially take down Calvin "Megatron" Johnson’s single-season record of 1,964 yards from 2012.

And get this: Megatron did it in a 16-game season. JSN doesn’t care about that! He’s playing in a 17-game season, and he’s on pace for a whopping 1,989 receiving yards. That would beat Megatron by 25 yards! Five 100-yard games and averaging 10 targets a game will definitely help. Can he keep it up? We’ll be watching closely.

Brian Burns & Byron Young — Single-Season Sacks: A Double Threat to the Record Book

Okay, defensive fans, this one’s for you. Brian Burns and Byron Young are absolutely terrorizing quarterbacks this year. They’re tied for the league lead with 9.0 sacks apiece! That puts them in the conversation to potentially catch Michael Strahan (2001) and T.J. Watt (2021), who share the single-season record with a crazy 22.5 sacks.

Both Burns and Young have played seven games, putting them on pace for… you guessed it, 22.0 sacks. To tie Strahan and Watt, they’ll need to average 1.35 sacks per game for the rest of the season. Burns has been on fire lately, with 4.0 sacks in his last two games. Young’s not far behind, with 3.5 in that same span. Plus, they’re both part of some seriously stacked defensive lines. Don’t be surprised if they keep this up or get even hotter as the season goes on.

Drake Maye & Jared Goff — Highest Completion Percentage in a Season: Accuracy Kings

This one’s going to be tough, no doubt. But both Drake Maye and Jared Goff are making a run at history. Maye is leading the NFL in completion percentage at an insane 75.2%. That’s the third-highest mark through seven games in NFL history! He’s on pace to beat Drew Brees’ record of 74.4% from 2018.

But wait, there’s more! Goff is right behind him at 74.9%, also ahead of Brees’ record pace. It’s still early in the season, and one bad game could knock either of them off track. But they’ve both gotten off to historically efficient starts. Can they keep the accuracy party going?

Jonathan Taylor — Single-Season Rushing Touchdowns: Can He Catch LT?

Alright, this record has been standing since 2006, when LaDainian Tomlinson ran wild and scored 28 touchdowns. Can Jonathan Taylor make a run at it? He’s got 10 rushing touchdowns through seven games, so he’s got an outside shot.

Taylor is on pace for 24 touchdowns, which would fall four short of Tomlinson’s record. But it would still be the most in a season since 2006! It would also tie John Riggins for the fifth-most in NFL history.

Taylor has been on a tear lately, with seven touchdowns in his last three games and three outings with three or more scores. If the Colts’ offense keeps rolling with Taylor as the main attraction, Tomlinson’s record could be in serious jeopardy.

Baker Mayfield — Single-Season Fourth-Quarter Comebacks: Clutch King?

Mayfield might have cooled off a bit since his scorching start, but there’s a reason he was in the early MVP conversation. It’s all about those late-game rallies! The Buccaneers had come-from-behind victories in each of their first three games and in four of their first five.

Mayfield has four game-winning drives through seven games. He’s on pace to break the record of eight, which is shared by Matthew Stafford (2016) and Kirk Cousins (2022). He needs four more to tie them and five more to surpass the mark. That puts him on pace for nine this season!

If the Buccaneers keep playing close games, Mayfield will have plenty of chances to add to that total. Of course, Tampa Bay would probably prefer less-stressful wins. And so would Mayfield, no doubt.

The Takeaway

So, there you have it! A few potential records within reach as we hit the halfway point of the 2025 NFL season. Will any of these players make history? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure: it’s going to be a fun ride watching them try!