Brandon Marshall is 30 Shy of Elite 1,000 Reception Club
Brandon Marshall, who was signed by the New Orleans Saints after Dez Bryant got hurt, has been released by the Saints, per ESPN. Marshall never appeared in a game for New Orleans, despite the fact they are extremely short-handed at the wide receiver position.
Unfortunately, Marshall, a 13-year NFL veteran, may end his career just shy of a highly-exclusive club: the 1,000 Reception Club. As of now, Marshall has 970 catches to his name, good for No. 16 all-time and No. 2 among active players. Larry Fitzgerald, who has nearly 1,300 catches, is the leader among active players.
The 1,000 Reception Club is very small, consisting of just 14 players — 12 wide receivers & two tight ends. By comparison, the 3,000 Hit Club has over 30 members.
If Marshall does fall short, he’ll join some other great receivers who couldn’t get over the hump. Randy Moss, with 982 catches, would be the only player with more receptions than Marshall not to get over 1,000. Antonio Gates, it should be noted, could potentially get over 1,000 — he has 948 catches — but like Marshall, his production has dipped as he’s aged. Below, we’ll list the players with more than 900 catches all time, per Pro Football Reference.
NFL All-Time Reception Leaders (as of Week 14)
| 1 | Jerry Rice+ | 1,549 | 1985-2004 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Tony Gonzalez | 1,325 | 1997-2013 | |
| 3 | Larry Fitzgerald | 1,286 | 2004-2018 | active |
| 4 | Jason Witten | 1,152 | 2003-2017 | |
| 5 | Marvin Harrison+ | 1,102 | 1996-2008 | |
| 6 | Cris Carter+ | 1,101 | 1987-2002 | |
| 7 | Tim Brown+ | 1,094 | 1988-2004 | |
| 8 | Terrell Owens+ | 1,078 | 1996-2010 | |
| 9 | Anquan Boldin | 1,076 | 2003-2016 | |
| 10 | Reggie Wayne | 1,070 | 2001-2014 | |
| 11 | Andre Johnson | 1,062 | 2003-2016 | |
| 12 | Steve Smith | 1,031 | 2001-2016 | |
| 13 | Isaac Bruce | 1,024 | 1994-2009 | |
| 14 | Hines Ward | 1,000 | 1998-2011 | |
| 15 | Randy Moss+ | 982 | 1998-2012 | |
| 16 | Brandon Marshall | 970 | 2006-2018 | active |
| 17 | Andre Reed+ | 951 | 1985-2000 | |
| 18 | Antonio Gates | 948 | 2003-2018 | active |
| 19 | Derrick Mason | 943 | 1997-2011 | |
| 20 | Art Monk+ | 940 | 1980-1995 | |
| 21 | Torry Holt | 920 | 1999-2009 | |
| 22 | Wes Welker | 903 | 2004-2015 |
- indicated Hall of Famer
Prior to the Saints, Marshall caught 11 passes this season with the Seattle Seahawk before getting released. I hope he picks up with someone else to avoid missing out on the club.
For his career, Marshall played with six teams and made the Pro Bowl with four of them (Denver, Miami, Chicago, and the New York Jets). Had he not gotten injured last year with the Giants, he may have already caught his 1,000th ball.