Cooper Kupp’s dominance over the NFL in 2021 is well known; the Los Angeles Rams’ star receiver led the league in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns this season. He also broke a 26-year-old record held by Cowboys’ legend Michael Irvin for 100-yard games in a season.
During the Cowboys’ last Super Bowl season in 1995, Irvin had eleven 100-yard games in the regular season and one during the playoffs. With 142 yards in the Rams’ victory of the 49ers last Sunday’s NFC Championship game, Kupp had his 13th 100-yard game in 2021.
Kupp’s big season has earned worthy praise from all corners of the football world. Among his admirers is Cowboys rookie Micah Parsons, who praised the receiver through social media.
The surprise is that this record has stood this long. With the rise of the passing game since the late 90s and 2000s, one would have thought that Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Calvin Johnson, Marvin Harrison, or any number of more “modern era” receivers would’ve topped Irvin’s mark.
It’s a reminder of just how special The Playmaker truly was, and how underrated he now is in some of the discussions of all-time great receivers.
Because of injuries and the difficult transition years from the Tom Landry era to Jimmy Johnson, Irvin’s first three seasons from 1988-1990 weren’t pretty. After glorious seasons throughout most of the 90s, Mike then saw his career cut short with a neck injury in 1999.
These circumstances have left Irvin low on the all-time lists for NFL receivers. His highest ranking is only 29th in receiving yards while being much lower on the receptions and touchdown lists.
But at his peak, Michael Irvin was as feared as any receiver in football. And as this longstanding record indicates, few have ever been as dominant in their primes.
