Chris Carter is likely one of two players that were left in the NFL that had half a chance of touching any of Jerry Rice’s records. At the end of last season, Carter was just under three hundred receptions behind Rice on the all time list. Conceivably, if it was Rice retiring, and Carter playing another three seasons or so, this record would be hard to surmount, but certainly reachable.

Chris Carter will also have to be content with sharing second place on the all time board for receptions in a season (122) with the all-pro Rice. This record, held by Herman Moore is likely out of reach for Rice too.

Carter will also have to be content more than 700 yards back of Rice on the all time list for yardage. He will never break the 20 000 yard plateau as Rice did this season.

And then there are touchdown, of which Rice was 56 a head of Carter at the end of last season. It seems unlikely, but Rice could hit 200 touchdowns over his career. He is after all only 15 short of that.

Chris Carter accomplished a heck of a lot as a receiver in the NFL. But the immortal Jerry Rice was simply all around better. With Rice still active and Carter retiring, it seems that none of his receiving records will be broken for many, many years. Tim Brown may be the only person in reach of any of Rice’s records, and as team mates, its safe to say the two will progress with similar statistics.