Most receptions in a season by a tight end: Trey McBride sets new NFL record with outstanding 2025 season

The tight end position has changed markedly over the years.

Once considered a blocking-oriented role, the tight end has become a pivotal part of the passing game in recent years. From Shannon Sharpe and Tony Gonzalez to Travis Kelce and Brock Bowers, tight ends have sparkled in some of the league's best offenses.

Within the past decade, more than 10 tight ends have fielded at least 100 catches in a single season. The league's record books have been scrawled over again and again, with a variety of gifted pass-catchers taking the title of league's most prolific tight end.

Who sits atop the all-time list nowadays? Here's what you need to know.

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Most receptions in a season by a tight end

McBride now holds the record for most catches in a single season by a tight end, moving clear of Zach Ertz's mark of 116 in 2018. The Cardinals standout surpassed Ertz in the same number of games, although his final tally could sit in a different stratosphere when accounting for the extra game.

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Most receptions in a season

While McBride holds the high-water mark for catches in a single season by a tight end, he has some ways to go if he wants the all-time record. Michael Thomas fetched the most grabs in a single season, corralling 149 efforts.

Thomas is one of three players to collect at least 140 catches in a single campaign. Marvin Harrison was the first to achieve the feat, doing so in 2002. Meanwhile, Cooper Kupp hit the mark en route to landing Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2021.