NFL Kickoff Return Leaders |
| Career Leaders |
| Category | Player | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Returns | Brian Mitchell | 607 |
| Fair Catches | Austin Trammell | 15 |
| Yards | Brian Mitchell | 14014 |
| Average (75 returns minimum) | Gale Sayers | 30.6 |
| Touchdowns | Cordarrelle Patterson | 9 |
| Gains of 20 yards and more | Brian Mitchell | 354 |
| Gains of 40 yards and more | Brian Mitchell | 40 |
| Fumbles | Michael Bates | 16 |
| Yearly Leaders (Yards) |
| Year | League | Player | NO | YDS | AVG | LG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | APFA | Arnie Wyman | 1 | ||||
| 1925 | NFL | Johnny Armstrong | 1 | ||||
| 1925 | NFL | Roddy Lamb | 1 | ||||
| 1925 | NFL | Cy Wentworth | 1 | ||||
| 1926 | NFL | Curly Oden | 1 | ||||
| 1928 | NFL | Chief Elkins | 1 | ||||
| 1929 | NFL | Jack Hagerty | 1 | ||||
| 1929 | NFL | Clarence Ryan | 1 | ||||
| 1930 | NFL | Bill Glasgow | 1 | ||||
| 1930 | NFL | Herb Meeker | 1 | ||||
| 1931 | NFL | Weert Engelmann | 1 | ||||
| 1932 | NFL | Oran Pape | 1 | ||||
| 1934 | NFL | Homer Griffith | 1 | ||||
| 1934 | NFL | Harry Newman | 1 | ||||
| 1934 | NFL | Doug Russell | 1 | ||||
| 1935 | NFL | Cliff Battles | 1 | ||||
| 1937 | NFL | Johnny Blood | 1 | ||||
| 1938 | NFL | Dave Smukler | 1 | ||||
| 1939 | NFL | Andy Farkas | 1 | ||||
| 1940 | NFL | Johnny Hall | 1 | ||||
| 1940 | NFL | Bill Leckonby | 1 | ||||
| 1940 | NFL | George McAfee | 1 | ||||
| 1940 | NFL | Ray Nolting | 1 | ||||
| 1941 | NFL | Marshall Goldberg | 12 | 290 | 24.2 | 41 | 0 |
| 1942 | NFL | Marshall Goldberg | 15 | 393 | 26.2 | 95t | 1 |
| 1943 | NFL | Ken Heineman | 16 | 442 | 27.6 | 69 | 0 |
| 1944 | NFL | Bob Thurbon | 12 | 291 | 24.3 | 55 | 0 |
| 1945 | NFL | Steve Van Buren | 13 | 373 | 28.7 | 98t | 1 |
| 1946 | AAFC | Chuck Fenenbock | 17 | 479 | 28.2 | 97t | 1 |
| 1946 | NFL | Abe Karnofsky | 21 | 599 | 28.5 | 97t | 1 |
| 1947 | AAFC | Chet Mutryn | 21 | 691 | 32.9 | 87t | 1 |
| 1947 | NFL | Eddie Saenz | 29 | 797 | 27.5 | 94t | 2 |
| 1948 | AAFC | Monk Gafford | 23 | 559 | 24.3 | 58 | 0 |
| 1948 | NFL | Joe Scott | 20 | 569 | 28.5 | 99t | 1 |
| 1949 | AAFC | Herman Wedemeyer | 30 | 602 | 20.1 | 0 | |
| 1949 | NFL | Don Doll | 21 | 536 | 25.5 | 56 | 0 |
| 1950 | NFL | Vitamin Smith | 22 | 742 | 33.7 | 97t | 3 |
| 1951 | NFL | Lynn Chandnois | 12 | 390 | 32.5 | 55 | 0 |
| 1952 | NFL | Lynn Chandnois | 17 | 599 | 35.2 | 93t | 2 |
| 1953 | NFL | Joe Arenas | 16 | 551 | 34.4 | 82 | 0 |
| 1954 | NFL | Billy Reynolds | 14 | 413 | 29.5 | 51 | 0 |
| 1955 | NFL | Al Carmichael | 14 | 418 | 29.9 | 100t | 1 |
| 1956 | NFL | Tommy Wilson | 15 | 477 | 31.8 | 103t | 1 |
| 1957 | NFL | Jon Arnett | 18 | 504 | 28.0 | 98t | 1 |
| 1958 | NFL | Ollie Matson | 14 | 497 | 35.5 | 101t | 2 |
| 1959 | NFL | Abe Woodson | 13 | 382 | 29.4 | 105t | 1 |
| 1960 | AFL | Ken Hall | 19 | 594 | 31.3 | 104t | 1 |
| 1960 | NFL | Tom Moore | 12 | 397 | 33.1 | 84 | 0 |
| 1961 | AFL | Dave Grayson | 16 | 453 | 28.3 | 73 | 0 |
| 1961 | NFL | Dick Bass | 23 | 698 | 30.3 | 64 | 0 |
| 1962 | AFL | Bobby Jancik | 24 | 726 | 30.3 | 61 | 0 |
| 1962 | NFL | Abe Woodson | 37 | 1157 | 31.3 | 79 | 0 |
| 1963 | AFL | Bobby Jancik | 45 | 1317 | 29.3 | 53 | 0 |
| 1963 | NFL | Abe Woodson | 29 | 935 | 32.2 | 103t | 3 |
| 1964 | AFL | Bo Roberson | 36 | 975 | 27.1 | 59 | 0 |
| 1964 | NFL | Clarence Childs | 34 | 987 | 29.0 | 100t | 1 |
| 1965 | AFL | Abner Haynes | 34 | 901 | 26.5 | 60 | 0 |
| 1965 | NFL | Tommy Watkins | 17 | 584 | 34.4 | 94 | 0 |
| 1966 | AFL | Goldie Sellers | 19 | 541 | 28.5 | 100t | 2 |
| 1966 | NFL | Gale Sayers | 23 | 718 | 31.2 | 93t | 2 |
| 1967 | AFL | Zeke Moore | 14 | 405 | 28.9 | 92t | 1 |
| 1967 | NFL | Travis Williams | 18 | 739 | 41.1 | 104t | 4 |
| 1968 | AFL | George Atkinson | 32 | 802 | 25.1 | 60 | 0 |
| 1968 | NFL | Preston Pearson | 15 | 527 | 35.1 | 102t | 2 |
| 1969 | AFL | Billy Thompson | 18 | 513 | 28.5 | 63 | 0 |
| 1969 | NFL | Bobby Ray Williams | 17 | 563 | 33.1 | 96t | 1 |
| 1970 | NFL | Jim Duncan | 20 | 707 | 35.4 | 99t | 1 |
| 1971 | NFL | Travis Williams | 25 | 743 | 29.7 | 105t | 1 |
| 1972 | NFL | Ron Smith | 30 | 924 | 30.8 | 94t | 1 |
| 1973 | NFL | Carl Garrett | 16 | 486 | 30.4 | 67 | 0 |
| 1974 | NFL | Terry Metcalf | 20 | 623 | 31.2 | 94t | 1 |
| 1975 | NFL | Walter Payton | 14 | 444 | 31.7 | 70 | 0 |
| 1976 | NFL | Duriel Harris | 17 | 559 | 32.9 | 69 | 0 |
| 1977 | NFL | Ray Clayborn | 28 | 869 | 31.0 | 101t | 3 |
| 1978 | NFL | Steve Odom | 25 | 677 | 27.1 | 95t | 1 |
| 1979 | NFL | Larry Brunson | 17 | 441 | 25.9 | 89 | 0 |
| 1980 | NFL | Horace Ivory | 36 | 992 | 27.6 | 98t | 1 |
| 1981 | NFL | Mike Nelms | 37 | 1099 | 29.7 | 84 | 0 |
| 1982 | NFL | Mike Mosley | 18 | 487 | 27.1 | 66 | 0 |
| 1983 | NFL | Fulton Walker | 36 | 962 | 26.7 | 78 | 0 |
| 1984 | NFL | Bobby Humphery | 22 | 675 | 30.7 | 97t | 1 |
| 1985 | NFL | Ron Brown | 28 | 918 | 32.8 | 98t | 3 |
| 1986 | NFL | Donnie Elder | 22 | 435 | 19.8 | 36 | 0 |
| 1987 | NFL | Sylvester Stamps | 24 | 660 | 27.5 | 97t | 1 |
| 1988 | NFL | Tim Brown | 41 | 1098 | 26.8 | 97t | 1 |
| 1989 | NFL | Rod Woodson | 36 | 982 | 27.3 | 84t | 1 |
| 1990 | NFL | Kevin Clark | 20 | 505 | 25.3 | 75 | 0 |
| 1991 | NFL | Mel Gray | 36 | 929 | 25.8 | 71 | 0 |
| 1992 | NFL | Jon Vaughn | 20 | 564 | 28.2 | 100t | 1 |
| 1993 | NFL | Robert Brooks | 23 | 611 | 26.6 | 95t | 1 |
| 1994 | NFL | Mel Gray | 45 | 1276 | 28.4 | 102t | 3 |
| 1995 | NFL | Ron Carpenter | 20 | 553 | 27.7 | 58 | 0 |
| 1996 | NFL | Michael Bates | 33 | 998 | 30.2 | 93t | 1 |
| 1997 | NFL | Michael Bates | 47 | 1281 | 27.3 | 56 | 0 |
| 1998 | NFL | Terry Fair | 51 | 1428 | 28.0 | 105t | 2 |
| 1999 | NFL | Tony Horne | 30 | 892 | 29.7 | 101t | 2 |
| 2000 | NFL | Darrick Vaughn | 39 | 1082 | 27.7 | 100t | 3 |
| 2001 | NFL | Ronney Jenkins | 58 | 1541 | 26.6 | 93t | 2 |
| 2002 | NFL | MarTay Jenkins | 20 | 559 | 28.0 | 95t | 1 |
| 2003 | NFL | Jerry Azumah | 41 | 1191 | 29.0 | 89t | 2 |
| 2004 | NFL | Willie Ponder | 36 | 967 | 26.9 | 91t | 1 |
| 2005 | NFL | Terrence McGee | 46 | 1391 | 30.2 | 99t | 1 |
| 2006 | NFL | Justin Miller | 46 | 1304 | 28.3 | 103t | 2 |
| 2007 | NFL | Josh Cribbs | 59 | 1809 | 30.7 | 100t | 2 |
| 2008 | NFL | Danieal Manning | 36 | 1070 | 29.7 | 83t | 1 |
| 2009 | NFL | Clifton Smith | 31 | 902 | 29.1 | 83 | 0 |
| 2010 | NFL | David Reed | 21 | 616 | 29.3 | 103t | 1 |
| 2011 | NFL | Joe McKnight | 34 | 1073 | 31.6 | 107t | 1 |
| 2012 | NFL | Jacoby Jones | 38 | 1167 | 30.7 | 108t | 2 |
| 2013 | NFL | Cordarrelle Patterson | 43 | 1393 | 32.4 | 109t | 2 |
| 2014 | NFL | Adam Jones | 27 | 844 | 31.3 | 97 | 0 |
| 2015 | NFL | Cordarrelle Patterson | 32 | 1019 | 31.8 | 101t | 2 |
| 2016 | NFL | Cordarrelle Patterson | 25 | 792 | 31.7 | 104t | 1 |
| 2017 | NFL | Pharoh Cooper | 34 | 932 | 27.4 | 103t | 1 |
| 2018 | NFL | Darius Jennings | 22 | 698 | 31.7 | 94t | 1 |
| 2019 | NFL | Brandon Wilson | 20 | 625 | 31.3 | 92 | 1 |
| 2020 | NFL | Andre Roberts | 32 | 961 | 30.0 | 60 | 0 |
| 2021 | NFL | Braxton Berrios | 28 | 852 | 30.4 | 102t | 1 |
| 2022 | NFL | Jerome Ford | 20 | 723 | 36.2 | 48 | 0 |
| 2023 | NFL | Keisean Nixon | 30 | 782 | 26.1 | 51 | 0 |
| 2024 | NFL | KaVontae Turpin | 27 | 904 | 33.5 | 99t | 1 |
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