List of NFL annual punting yards leaders explained
Record-keeping for punting yards began in 1939, when Parker Hall led the National Football League (NFL) with 2,369 punting yards, while playing for the Cleveland Rams (now known as the Los Angeles Rams). Hall would lead the league in punting yards the following season as well, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat in consecutive seasons.[1] Dave Zastudil holds the record for punting yards in a season; he set the record at 5,209 punting yards in 2012, while playing with the Arizona Cardinals.[2]
Although many other players have been able to lead the league in two consecutive seasons, John James is the only player to have the led the league in three consecutive seasons (1976–1978). James and Shane Lechler share the record of most seasons leading the league in punting yards, with four each. James led the league in 1974, in addition to his aforementioned three-year stretch; he played with the Atlanta Falcons in all four of those seasons. Meanwhile, Lechler lead the league in 2003, 2008, and 2009 (while with the Oakland Raiders), and in 2017, while playing with the Houston Texans. Johnny Hekker was the most recent player to accomplish this feat, leading in 2015, while playing for the St. Louis Rams, and again in 2016, when the team relocated to Los Angeles.
Among punting yards performances that did not lead the league, Chad Stanley has the most with 4,720 for the Texans in 2002. Marquette King's 4,930 punting yards for the Oakland Raiders in 2014 is the most punting yards a player has had without setting the single-season record.
Sammy Baugh led the league in yards per punt five times in his career (1940–1943, 1945). Lechler is the only other player to lead the league in yards per punt four times (2003, 2004, 2007, 2009). Baugh's four consecutive years leading the league (1940–1943) is also notable; no other player has led the league more than twice consecutively. The most recent player to do so was Lechler in 2003 and 2004. Baugh set the record for yards per punt at 51.4 in 1940. The 50.0 yards per punt mark would not be reached again until Donnie Jones achieved the feat in 2008. Ryan Stonehouse would surpass Baugh's yards per punt record, setting the new benchmark at 53.1 in 2022.
Total punting yards leaders
The following is the season-by-season listing:
| Year | Player | | Team |
|---|
| 1939 | Parker Hall | 2,369 | Cleveland Rams |
| 1940 | Parker Hall (2) | 2,489 | Cleveland Rams |
| 1941 | Whizzer White | 1,997 | Detroit Lions |
| 1942 | Dean McAdams | 2,158 | Brooklyn Dodgers |
| 1943 | Sammy Baugh | 2,295 | Washington Redskins |
| 1944 | Len Younce | 1,941 | New York Giants |
| 1945 | Sid Tinsley | 2,308 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1946 | Roy McKay | 2,735 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1947 | Howard Maley | 3,731 | Boston Yanks |
| 1948 | Jack Jacobs | 2,782 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1949 | Dick Poillon | 2,697 | Washington Redskins |
| 1950 | Adrian Burk | 3,243 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1951 | Horace Gillom | 3,321 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1952 | Tom Landry | 3,363 | New York Giants |
| 1953 | Pat Brady | 3,752 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1954 | Max McGee | 2,999 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1955 | Tom Landry (2) | 3,022 | New York Giants |
| 1956 | Adrian Burk (2) | 2,843 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1957 | Jerry Norton | 2,798 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1958 | Don Chandler | 2,859 | New York Giants |
| 1959 | Max McGee (2) | 2,716 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1960 | Bobby Joe Green | 2,829 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1961 | Jerry Norton (2) | 3,802 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1962 | Danny Villanueva | 3,960 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1963 | Danny Villanueva (2) | 3,678 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1964 | Pat Richter | 3,749 | Washington Redskins |
| 1965 | Frank Lambert | 3,518 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1966 | Bobby Joe Green (2) | 3,358 | Chicago Bears |
| 1967 | Billy Lothridge | 3,801 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1968 | Billy Lothridge (2) | 3,324 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1969 | Pat Studstill | 3,259 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1970 | Billy Van Heusen | 3,732 | Denver Broncos |
| 1971 | Bob Lee | 3,515 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1972 | Don Cockroft | 3,498 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1973 | Jerrel Wilson | 3,642 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1974 | John James | 3,891 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1975 | Tom Blanchard | 3,776 | New Orleans Saints |
| 1976 | John James (2) | 4,253 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1977 | John James (3) | 4,349 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1978 | John James (4) | 4,227 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1979 | Dave Jennings | 4,445 | New York Giants |
| 1980 | Dave Jennings (2) | 4,211 | New York Giants |
| 1981 | Bob Parsons | 4,531 | Chicago Bears |
| 1982 | Bob Parsons (2) | 2,394 | Chicago Bears |
| 1983 | Rohn Stark | 4,124 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1984 | Jim Arnold | 4,397 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1985 | Rich Camarillo | 3,953 | New England Patriots |
| 1986 | John Teltschik | 4,493 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1987 | Dale Hatcher | 3,140 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1988 | Jim Arnold (2) | 4,110 | Detroit Lions |
| 1989 | Bryan Wagner | 3,817 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1990 | Brian Hansen | 3,752 | New England Patriots |
| 1991 | Tommy Barnhardt | 3,743 | New Orleans Saints |
| 1992 | Rick Tuten | 4,760 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 1993 | Rick Tuten (2) | 4,007 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 1994 | Rich Camarillo (2) | 4,115 | Houston Oilers |
| 1995 | Brian Hansen (2) | 4,090 | New York Jets |
| 1996 | Mike Horan | 4,289 | New York Giants |
| 1997 | Brad Maynard | 4,531 | New York Giants |
| 1998 | Brad Maynard (2) | 4,566 | New York Giants |
| 1999 | Chris Gardocki | 4,645 | Cleveland Browns |
| 2000 | Chris Gardocki (2) | 4,919 | Cleveland Browns |
| 2001 | Todd Sauerbrun | 4,419 | Carolina Panthers |
| 2002 | Todd Sauerbrun (2) | 4,735 | Carolina Panthers |
| 2003 | Shane Lechler | 4,503 | Oakland Raiders |
| 2004 | Brad Maynard (3) | 4,638 | Chicago Bears |
| 2005 | Andy Lee | 4,447 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2006 | Jason Baker | 4,483 | Carolina Panthers |
| 2007 | Andy Lee (2) | 4,968 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2008 | Shane Lechler (2) | 4,391 | Oakland Raiders |
| 2009 | Shane Lechler (3) | 4,909 | Oakland Raiders |
| 2010 | Donnie Jones | 4,276 | St. Louis Rams |
| 2011 | Britton Colquitt | 4,783 | Denver Broncos |
| 2012 | Dave Zastudil | 5,209 | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2013 | Bryan Anger | 4,338 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 2014 | Marquette King | 4,930 | Oakland Raiders |
| 2015 | Johnny Hekker | 4,601 | St. Louis Rams |
| 2016 | Johnny Hekker (2) | 4,343 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 2017 | Shane Lechler (4) | 4,507 | Houston Texans |
| 2018 | Andy Lee (3) | 4,568 | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2019 | Lac Edwards | 3,991 | New York Jets |
| 2020 | Braden Mann | 3,598 | New York Jets |
| 2021 | Cameron Johnston | 4,102 | Houston Texans |
| 2022 | Ryan Stonehouse | 4,779 | Tennessee Titans |
| 2023 | Thomas Morstead | 4,831 | New York Jets |
| Statistics gathered from Pro-Football-Reference. | |
American Football League (AFL)
| Year | Player | | Team |
|---|
| 1960 | Billy Atkins | 3,468 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1961 | Billy Atkins (2) | 3,783 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1962 | Paul Maguire | 3,289 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1963 | | 3,596 | Denver Broncos |
| 1964 | Jerrel Wilson | 3,326 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1965 | Jim Norton | 3,711 | Houston Oilers |
| 1966 | Bob Scarpitto | 3,480 | Denver Broncos |
| 1967 | Bob Scarpitto (2) | 4,713 | Denver Broncos |
| 1968 | Paul Maguire (2) | 4,175 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1969 | Paul Maguire (3) | 3,471 | Buffalo Bills |
| Statistics gathered from Pro-Football-Reference. | |
Yards per punt leaders
The following is the season-by-season listing:
style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;"| ^ | Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
| Denotes all-time NFL record |
| Denotes former NFL record | |
Highest single-seasons
Total punting yards
The following list displays the 25 highest single-season punting yards figures in NFL history. Unless otherwise noted, the listed players led the respective season with their performances.
| Rank | Player | Team | Season | |
|---|
| 1 | Dave Zastudil | Arizona Cardinals | 2012 | 5,209 |
| 2 | Andy Lee | San Francisco 49ers | 2007 | 4,960 |
| 3 | Marquette King | Oakland Raiders | 2014 | 4,930 |
| 4 | Chris Gardocki | Cleveland Browns | 2000 | 4,919 |
| 5 | Shane Lechler | Oakland Raiders | 2009 | 4,909 |
| 6 | Thomas Morstead | New York Jets | 2023 | 4,839 |
| 7 | Britton Colquitt | Denver Broncos | 2011 | 4,783 |
| 8 | Ryan Stonehouse | Tennessee Titans | 2022 | 4,779 |
| 9 | Rick Tuten | Seattle Seahawks | 1992 | 4,760 |
| 10 | Todd Sauerbrun | Carolina Panthers | 2002 | 4,735 |
| 11 | Chad Stanley | Houston Texans | 2002 | 4,720 |
| 12 | Bob Scarpitto | Denver Broncos | 1967 | 4,713 |
| 13 | Andy Lee | San Francisco 49ers | 2009 | 4,711 |
| 14 | Johnny Hekker | Los Angeles Rams | 2016 | 4,680 |
| 15 | Donnie Jones | St. Louis | 2011 | 4,652 |
| 16 | Chris Gardocki | Cleveland Browns | 1999 | 4,645 |
| 17 | Brad Maynard | Chicago Bears | 2004 | 4,638 |
| 18 | Johnny Hekker | St. Louis Rams | 2015 | 4,601 |
| 19 | Andy Lee | Arizona Cardinals | 2018 | 4,568 |
| 20 | Brad Maynard | New York Giants | 1998 | 4,566 |
| 21 | Tom Tupa | Washington Redskins | 2004 | 4,544 |
| 22 | Brad Maynard | New York Giants | 1997 | 4,531 |
| Bob Parsons | Chicago Bears | 1981 | 4,531 |
| 24 | Sean Landeta | Philadelphia Eagles | 1999 | 4,524 |
| 25 | Shane Lechler | Houston Texans | 2017 | 4,507 |
| Statistics accurate through the 2021 season. | |
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: NFL Punting Yards Year-by-Year Leaders (since 1939). Pro Football Reference. October 24, 2016. October 25, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161025050457/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/punt_yds_year_by_year.htm. live.
- Web site: NFL Punting Yards Single-Season Leaders (since 1939). Pro Football Reference. October 24, 2016. August 24, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130824190931/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/punt_yds_single_season.htm. live.
