10 greatest wide receiver tandems in Super Bowl history

By Ben Arthur
Published

Many great wide receivers have graced the Super Bowl stage over the decades. In many cases, they've come in tandems. 

Ahead of Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App), we're spotlighting the best of the bunch. 

Here's our top 10 wide receiver tandems that have appeared in the Super Bowl. The list is in no particular order and is based (subjectively) on combined dominance, regular-season résumés, Super Bowl performances and number of Super Bowl appearances. And tight ends are not included.

Jerry Rice and John Taylor, San Francisco 49ers

Super Bowl appearances: 1988-89, 1994 seasons

Rice, arguably the best receiver of all time, had a trusty No. 2 option alongside him in Taylor, a two-time Pro Bowler who had two 1,000-yard seasons in nine NFL seasons. Together, they helped the 49ers to three Super Bowls victories — over the Bengals (XXIII), Broncos (XXIV) and Chargers (XXIX). 

In the Super Bowl victory over Cincinnati, Rice posted 11 receptions for 215 yards and a touchdown en route to MVP honors, while Taylor caught the game-winning score. And in three Super Bowl wins combined, they had 36 receptions for 614 yards and nine touchdowns (Rice didn't have fewer than 148 receiving yards in any of the contests). 

John Stallworth and Lynn Swann, Pittsburgh Steelers

Super Bowl appearances: 1974-75, 1978-79 seasons

Stallworth and Swann, both of whom are in the Hall of Fame, were on all four Super Bowl-winning Steelers teams of the 1970s, but they were the leading receivers on the ‘75, ‘78 and ‘79 championship squads.

The duo didn't post gaudy numbers, with Pittsburgh at the time known more for the "Steel Curtain" defense and its run game led by Hall-of-Fame running back Franco Harris. But Stallworth and Swann still combined for six Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pro nods in their careers. Between the 1978-79 regular seasons, they combined for 213 receptions, 3,669 yards and 33 touchdowns. 

James Lofton and Andre Reed, Buffalo Bills

Super Bowl appearances: 1990-92 seasons

Lofton and Reed, one of the AFC's best receiving tandems of the early 1990s, helped guide the Bills to three of four straight Super Bowl appearances. 

In 1991, the duo had its best season together, with both going over 1,000 receiving yards and combining for 18 touchdowns. That season, Buffalo fell to Washington in Super Bowl XXVI, 37-24. 

Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts

Super Bowl appearance: 2006 season

There are few Super Bowl wide receiver tandems that had more combined talent than Harrison and Wayne, two of the best players in Colts history. Harrison was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016, while Wayne — currently the Colts wide receivers coach — is a finalist this year. 

In 2006, when the franchise won its only Super Bowl since moving to Indianapolis, both had at least 1,300 receiving yards. They combined for 181 catches and 21 touchdowns that season, one of eight they spent together with the Colts. 

Art Monk and Gary Clark, Washington Commanders

Super Bowl appearances: 1987, '91 seasons

In eight seasons together, Monk and Clark helped guide Washington to two of its five Super Bowl victories — over the Broncos in 1987 (XXII) and over the Bills in 1991 (XXVI). Both had 1,000-yard seasons in the ‘91 championship run. 

Together, they had at least 1,000 yards in the same season four times. Monk was a big-bodied receiver (listed at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds), while Clark was the diminutive threat (5-foot-9, 173). 

Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals

Super Bowl appearance: 2008 season

Fitzgerald and Boldin, both big-bodied receivers, were key weapons in some of the best offenses in Cardinals history. In the 2008 season, when Arizona fell to Pittsburgh in its only Super Bowl appearance, the tandem combined for 2,469 yards and 23 touchdowns on 185 receptions. 

Fitzgerald and Boldin, who were drafted one year apart (Fitzgerald in 2004; Boldin the year prior), played six seasons together with the Cardinals before Boldin was traded to the Ravens in March 2010. 

Mark Duper and Mark Clayton, Miami Dolphins

Super Bowl appearance: 1984 season

With Dan Marino at quarterback, Duper and Clayton put up electrifying numbers in their decade together in Miami (1983-92), racking up a combined 17,512 receiving yards in that span. They both had 1,300-yard seasons in 1984, when the Dolphins fell to the 49ers in Super Bowl XIX, 38-16. 

Randy Moss and Wes Welker, New England Patriots

Super Bowl appearance: 2007 season

Moss, one of the best receivers of all time, coupled with Welker gave the Patriots one of the most lethal wide receiver tandems ever. They were teammates for more than three seasons (2007-10). 

Moss had 23 receiving touchdowns in 2007, setting the NFL's single-season record. That season, the duo had 210 receptions, 2,668 yards and 31 touchdowns. Even though the Patriots were upset by the Giants in Super Bowl XLII, Moss and Welker had great performances in the game. They combined for 16 receptions for 165 yards and a touchdown. 

Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, St. Louis Rams

Super Bowl appearances: 1999, 2001 seasons

Holt and Bruce, teammates for a decade, were the best wide receivers on the "Greatest Show on Turf" Rams. The duo combined for 13 catches, 271 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the franchise's Super Bowl XXXIV victory over the Titans. 

In the Rams' 20-17 loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI, though, they were held to 105 receiving yards and no touchdowns. 

Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, Denver Broncos

Super Bowl appearance: 2013 season

With Peyton Manning at quarterback, Thomas and Decker posted video game numbers in the 2013 season, combining for 2,718 yards and 25 touchdowns. Unfortunately for the Broncos, they ran into a wall in the "Legion of Boom" Seahawks, who held them to eight points in a blowout loss in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Thomas and Decker were teammates for four seasons (2010-13), with Decker coming into his own in the latter two as a 1,000-yard receiver.

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

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