Seattle Seahawks: 15 best wide receivers in franchise history

1. Steve Largent – the Seahawks best receiver ever

Let’s be honest here. If anyone makes a list of best Seahawks receivers ever and doesn’t have Steve Largent at the top of it then two things are at play. One is that it is a list of projections based on current Seattle receivers. Two, the list is just incorrect.

Largent isn’t only the best (by far) wide receiver in Seattle history, he is among the best to ever play in the NFL. When he retired in 1989, Largent’s 13,089 yards were the best ever in the NFL. He still ranks 13th overall even though the game has changed and the NFL become a much more pass-happy league. Largent is still 9th in touchdown catches with 100 but was first when he retired.

Between the franchise’s beginning in 1976 through 1987, Largent led the team in receiving yards every season. Eight times he surpassed 1,000 yards in a season and three times he had double-digit touchdown receptions. He led the NFL in receiving yards in 1979 and 1985 but his highest number of catches in a season is 79. He never came close to leading the league in receptions.

This means that Largent maximized every opportunity he had once he had the ball in his hands. In 7 postseason games, Largent had 4 touchdown catches and averaged 18.9 yards a reception. And for a player who wasn’t chosen until the 4th round by the Houston Oilers in 1976 and then traded before his rookie year to the Seahawks for an 8th-round pick, that is a pretty good return on investment for Seattle.