Legendary Chicago Bears tight end and coach Mike Dikta had a 63-year run with a remarkable record, but it has fallen at the hands of Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers.
That record was one Ditka had held since 1961, when he set an NFL record for receiving yards by a rookie tight end. In that remarkable season, Ditka racked up 1,076 receiving yards in 14 games, with 12 touchdowns to his credit on 56 catches.
For more than six decades, that record had stood, with only Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts even coming close when he registered 1,026 yards in the 2021 season.
Finally, that mark has fallen after Bowers hauled in his third catch of the day for the Raiders as they took on the New Orleans Saints in the Big Easy.
Bowers has had an incredible rookie season, coming into Sunday’s game with 101 catches for 1,067 yards and four touchdowns.
Of course, a few different qualifiers will be put on Bowers’ record, as the tight end has played in two more games this season than Ditka did during that 1961 campaign, when the NFL schedule only comprised 14 games instead of 17.
Ditka also registered a strong 19.2 yards per reception during that rookie season, which paved the way toward a Hall of Fame career.
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Ditka played in 158 career games, earning five Pro Bowl selections and multiple All-Pro honors. He had 427 career catches for 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns, with the bulk of his success coming during a six-year stint with the Bears.
Bowers, a first-round pick out of Georgia, has had a consistently strong season, with eight or more catches in seven games for the Raiders. His best game came on Nov. 29 when he hauled in 10 catches for 140 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs.
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