2023/24 NFL season: Which records could be broken?

The 2023 NFL season is nearly here with the Detroit Lions taking on the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, September 7th to open the campaign.

This is shaping up to be a historic season with the most talent the league has ever seen on display. 

Will the Chiefs repeat as Super Bowl champions? Or will a new team rise up and dethrone the budding dynasty in Kansas City? 

One storyline to monitor throughout the year is which NFL records could be broken in the 2023/24 season. 

There are plenty of good candidates, but ultimately we came up with three records that could conceivably be broken by the time the end of the season comes around.

NFL Receiving Yards Record

This one is pretty obtainable considering that there are a myriad of terrific wide receivers in the NFL at the moment. It’s also possible that a wideout could break Calvin Johnson’s record of 1,964 receiving yards in a single season given that Cooper Kupp just came within 17 yards of it during the 2021 season. 

This season, the most obvious candidate to break this record is Justin Jefferson, as the Vikings' top wideout has averaged nearly 100 yards per game for his career and is by far the most targeted receiving threat in a pass-heavy offense. 

Other candidates include Ja’Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill and Kuup (again). 

NFL Single-Season Sack Record

Today’s NFL is not just filled with elite skill position talent on offense, but on the defensive side of the ball as well. We have a plethora of elite pass rushers around the league, which makes the single-season sack record a very realistic goal for many of the NFL’s best. 

This record of 22.5 has been held by Michael Strahan, but it was just equaled by TJ Watt in 2022, and the Steelers edge rusher did that in just 15 games. 

It’s entirely possible that players such as Nick Bosa, Matt Judon and Myles Garrett could have this record in their sights all season long. 

This one seems like it’ll be broken sooner rather than later.

NFL Passing Yards Record

One of the most common things you’ll hear about the NFL these days is that it’s a pass-first league. It’s no secret that most of the best offenses are now built around quarterbacks who can push the pace and throw the ball accurately to all areas of the field with consistency. 

That transition has been underway since the days of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, and it’s Manning who still holds the record of most passing in the history of the NFL. 

Manning’s record stands at 5,477 yards, but this is a record that could be broken at some point by some of the league’s top quarterbacks, particularly if they’re in a pass-happy offensive system. 

Even just recently, Patrick Mahomes’ stellar 2022 campaign saw him throw for 5,250 yards, which was the fourth-highest total in NFL history. 

There’s no reason to think that Mahomes, Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert wouldn’t have a decent chance of making a run at this record.