In American football, a kickoff is a method of starting a drive-in gridiron football that occurs at the start of each half or after scoring that can be returned for yards. The number of kickoff return yards a player makes is a recorded statistic in football games. Statistics were not recorded until 1941. The history of the returner generally saw receivers used for the position, most notably with Deion Sanders. Only one return specialist has been inducted into the Hall of Fame with Devin Hester. This is a list of National Football League kickoff returners who have led the regular season in kickoff return yards each year. In addition to the overall National Football League (NFL) kickoff return yards leaders, league record books recognize the kickoff return yard leaders of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970. The NFL also recognizes the statistics of the All-America Football Conference, which operated from 1946 to 1949 before three of its teams were merged into the NFL, since 2025.

Bruce Harper and Tyrone Hughes have led the NFL in kickoff return yards three times, more than any other kickoff returner. They are also the only players to lead the league three times consecutively, with Harper doing so from 1977 through 1979 and Hughes doing so from 1994 through 1996. The record for kickoff return yards in a season is held by MarTay Jenkins, who had 2,186 kickoff yards in 2000 for the Arizona Cardinals. He is the only player to record a 2,000 kickoff return yards in a season.

NFL annual kick return yards leaders According to Pro Football Reference and The Football Database.

+ Key Symbol Meaning Leader The player who recorded the most kick return yards in the NFL Yds The total number of kick return yards the player had GP The number of games played by a player during the season Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame ^ Active player * Set the single-season kick return yards record (#) Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list

+ NFL annual kick return yards leaders by season Season Leader Team 290* 11 Chicago Cardinals (2) 393* 11 Chicago Cardinals 444* 8 Brooklyn Dodgers 471* 9 Card-Pitt 408 9 Chicago Cardinals 599* 11 Boston Yanks 797* 12 Washington Redskins 594 12 Washington Redskins 536 12 Detroit Lions 742 12 Los Angeles Rams 622 12 New York Yanks 643 12 Dallas Texans 830* 12 Los Angeles Rams (2) 836* 12 Los Angeles Rams 716 12 Pittsburgh Steelers 927* 12 Green Bay Packers (2) 690 12 Green Bay Packers 756 12 Chicago Cardinals 565 12 San Francisco 49ers 533 12 Philadelphia Eagles 811 13 Philadelphia Eagles 1,157* 14 San Francisco 49ers (2) 945 14 Philadelphia Eagles 1,017 14 Dallas Cowboys 741 14 San Francisco 49ers 1,013 14 Atlanta Falcons (2) 976 13 Atlanta Falcons 1,237* 14 St. Louis Cardinals 722 13 Cleveland Browns 1,022 14 Los Angeles Rams 1,314* 13 Green Bay Packers 1,020 14 New Orleans Saints 1,092 14 New England Patriots 961 14 New York Jets 1,086 14 Washington Redskins 761 13 Cincinnati Bengals 1,035 14 New York Jets (2) 1,280 16 New York Jets (3) 1,158 16 New York Jets 1,184 16 Minnesota Vikings 1,292 16 Los Angeles Rams 749 9 San Diego Chargers 1,171 15 Baltimore Colts / Seattle Seahawks 959 16 San Diego Chargers 1,345* 15 Minnesota Vikings 1,007 16 Cincinnati Bengals Detroit Lions 923 12 Kansas City Chiefs 1,098 16 Los Angeles Raiders 1,181 16 Dallas Cowboys 1,052 16 Cleveland Browns 929 16 Detroit Lions 1,067 13 Atlanta Falcons 1,050 16 Indianapolis Colts 1,556* 15 New Orleans Saints (2) 1,617* 16 New Orleans Saints (3) 1,791* 16 New Orleans Saints 1,458 16 Arizona Cardinals 1,550 16 Chicago Bears 1,524 16 Miami Dolphins 2,186* 16 Arizona Cardinals 1,541 16 San Diego Chargers 1,807 16 New Orleans Saints 1,684 15 Arizona Cardinals 1,718 16 Kansas City Chiefs 1,752 16 Oakland Raiders (2) 1,762 16 Oakland Raiders 1,809 16 Cleveland Browns 1,753 16 Seattle Seahawks 1,618 14 St. Louis Rams 1,548 13 Arizona Cardinals 1,174 16 Washington Redskins 1,533 16 New York Giants 1,436 16 Chicago Bears (2) 1,128 16 Atlanta Falcons ^ 1,077 16 Detroit Lions 810 16 Cincinnati Bengals 949 16 Seattle Seahawks 1,174 16 New York Jets 825 16 Chicago Bears (2) 1,017 16 Chicago Bears (2) 1,010 16 Houston Texans / Los Angeles Chargers ^ 1,009 17 Green Bay Packers ^ (2) 782 17 Green Bay Packers ^ 904 17 Dallas Cowboys ^ (2) 1,814 15 Dallas Cowboys

AFL annual kick return yards leaders

+ Key Symbol Meaning Leader The player who recorded the most kick return yards in the AFL Yds The total number of kick return yards the player had GP The number of games played by a player during the season * Set the single-season kick return yards record (#) Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list

+ AFL annual kick return yards leaders by season Season Leader Team 1960 862* 14 New York Titans 1961 645 14 Dallas Texans 1962 824 14 New York Titans 1963 1,317* 14 Houston Oilers 1964 1,245 14 Denver Broncos 1965 901 14 Denver Broncos 1966 (2) 875 14 Houston Oilers 1967 1,148 14 Kansas City Chiefs 1968 971 14 Buffalo Bills 1969 1,136 14 Miami Dolphins

AAFC annual kick return yards leaders

+ Key Symbol Meaning Leader The player who recorded the most kick return yards in the AAFC Yds The total number of kick return yards the player had GP The number of games played by a player during the season * Set the single-season kick return yards record

+ AAFC annual kick return yards leaders by season Season Leader Team 1946 479* 13 Los Angeles Dons 1947 691* 14 Buffalo Bills 1948 559 12 Brooklyn Dodgers 1949 602 11 Baltimore Colts

Most seasons leading the league Count Player Seasons Team(s) 3 Bruce Harper New York Jets Tyrone Hughes New Orleans Saints 2 Timmy Brown , Philadelphia Eagles Al Carmichael , Green Bay Packers Chris Carr , Oakland Raiders Marshall Goldberg , Chicago Cardinals Devin Hester , Chicago Bears (1) / Atlanta Falcons (1) Bobby Jancik 1963, 1966 Houston Oilers Woodley Lewis , Los Angeles Rams Keisean Nixon , Green Bay Packers Cordarrelle Patterson , Chicago Bears Andre Roberts , New York Jets (1) / Houston Texans / Los Angeles Chargers (1) Ron Smith , Atlanta Falcons KaVontae Turpin , Dallas Cowboys

See also List of NFL career kickoff return yards leaders

References