Who’s the Best Receiver in Washington Commanders History? A Fun Look at Great Players!

How It All Started

Someone posted a fun fact on Twitter about the Washington Commanders’ all-time leaders for receiving yards. You know how it is — one little stat like that, and suddenly fans are arguing about who the "best" player ever was. But here’s the thing: comparing players across different eras is way more interesting (and way more complicated) than just looking at a number on a screen.

Let’s walk through some of the greatest receivers in Washington’s history and see why this conversation is so much richer than a simple ranking.

Charley Taylor: Running Back Turned Receiver!

Before Charley Taylor became one of the best receivers ever for Washington, he was actually a running back. That’s right — a totally different position!

Here’s how it happened step by step:

1. In 1964, Washington traded their quarterback, Norm Snead, to the Philadelphia Eagles for a quarterback named Sonny Jurgensen.
2. That same year, Washington drafted Charley Taylor in the first round.
3. In his very first season (1964), Taylor rushed for 755 yards AND caught passes for 814 yards — all that running back stuff in a 14-game season!
4. The next year, Washington drafted tight end Jerry Smith.
5. After the 1965 season, the head coach had a big idea: what if Taylor switched to receiver?
6. New quarterback coach Otto Graham (a former Cleveland Browns star quarterback) believed Jurgensen’s growth would make the offense way better.

By 1966, the coach created a dream team of receivers: Charley Taylor, Bobby Mitchell, and Jerry Smith.

Pretty cool, right?

The Magic Years (1966–1968)

These three seasons were special:

• Taylor led the entire NFL in receptions in both 1966 and 1967.
• In 1967, Jerry Smith caught 12 touchdown passes in just a 14-game season, a record for tight ends that stood until Shannon Sharpe finally broke it.

Important Point: Jerry Smith’s 12 touchdown catches in a 14-game season wasn’t broken until 2024, when Terry McLaurin caught 13 touchdown passes — but in a longer 17-game season!

Bobby Mitchell: The Early Star

Bobbie Mitchell entered the NFL way back in 1958. Even before Sonny Jurgensen arrived on the team, Mitchell was already a beast:

• Led the NFL in receiving yards in 1962 and 1963.
• In his first season with Jurgensen (1964), he led the league in touchdown catches.

Sonny Jurgensen: The Quarterback Who Made It Happen

Let’s not forget the guy throwing the ball:

• He led the entire NFL in passing yards for five full seasons.
• In 1967, he threw 31 touchdown passes, which is still a Washington franchise record to this day — and that was in only 14 games!

"The Posse": Monk, Clark, and Sanders (1986–1992)

Fast forward a few decades and we get one of the most famous receiver groups in team history, nicknamed "The Posse". Art Monk, Gary Clark, and Ricky Sanders played together during a very different NFL — with 16-game seasons and strong team defenses that helped them win big.

Gary Clark

• Surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in five different seasons.
• In the Super Bowl-winning seasons of 1987 and 1991, Clark averaged a blazing 19.0 and 19.1 yards per catch. That means every time he caught the ball, it was basically a mini explosion of yardage!

Ricky Sanders

• President Ronald Reagan once famously asked, "Where’s Ricky Sanders?" after Sanders shattered the Super Bowl receiving yards record when the Commanders crushed the Denver Broncos 42–10 in Super Bowl XXII.
• Most fans forget that Sanders topped 1,100 receiving yards in both 1988 and 1989.

Art Monk

• In 1984, Monk caught 106 passes — more than anyone in NFL history had ever done in a single season at that point.
• In 1992, he passed Steve Largent to become the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions, a record he held until the legendary Jerry Rice finally topped it.

Santana Moss: Breaking the Old Records

In 2005, Santana Moss did something remarkable — he broke Bobby Mitchell’s longtime Washington franchise records for both:

• Most receptions in a season
• Most receiving yards in a season

Mitchell had held the yard record at 1,436 yards since 1963. Moss pushed it to 1,483 yards in 2005. Over his time in Washington, Moss had:

• Four seasons over 1,000 receiving yards
• Three seasons over 1,100 receiving yards

So Who’s Actually the Best?

Here’s where it gets really fun — and really tricky. Every great player we’ve talked about played in a completely different era, with different teammates, different rules, and different challenges:

• Different eras, different quarterbacks: The earlier guys had Sonny Jurgensen. The later guys never had a Hall of Fame quarterback.
• More games today: Modern seasons are 17 games. Early eras were only 14 games!
• The rules changed: Offenses today spread the ball around way more, and the rules favor offensive players.
• Earlier players had to grind: Players from earlier eras often put up incredible numbers with fewer games and tougher conditions to throw the ball.

So, Just Forget Being So Certain!

Comparing the "best" receiver in Washington history isn’t as simple as pointing at one number on a list. Each player was incredible in their own time, in their own way.

The real joy is appreciating that the Washington Commanders have had so many amazing receivers who brought excitement, success, and loads of fun to their teams.

Hail!

Summary

• Charley Taylor started as a running back before becoming a record-setting receiver.
• Bobby Mitchell led the league in receiving even before the Jurgensen era.
• Sonny Jurgensen set a franchise record with 31 touchdown passes in 14 games (1967).
• "The Posse" (Monk, Clark, Sanders) dominated in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
• Art Monk set the NFL record for career receptions (later broken by Jerry Rice).
• Santana Moss broke Mitchell’s franchise records in 2005.
• Comparing across eras is nearly impossible due to rule changes, different numbers of games, and different quarterbacks — every player was great in their own way.

FAQ

Why can’t we just compare stats to find the "best" receiver?

Because the game has changed a lot over the decades! Earlier seasons had fewer games (14 instead of 17), rules were different, and offenses weren’t as pass-heavy. It’s like comparing a bicycle race to a race car — they’re both racing, but in very different conditions.

Who holds the franchise record for most passing touchdowns in a season?

Sonny Jurgensen threw 31 touchdown passes in 1967, which is still the Washington franchise record.

What was "The Posse"?

"The Posse" was the nickname for Washington’s star receiver trio of Art Monk, Gary Clark, and Ricky Sanders, who played together from 1986 to 1992.

Who broke Bobby Mitchell’s receiving records?

Santana Moss broke Mitchell’s franchise records for receptions and receiving yards in a single season, doing so in 2005.

Which Washington receiver held the NFL’s all-time receptions record?

Art Monk held the NFL record for most career receptions after passing Steve Largent in 1992, before Jerry Rice eventually surpassed him.