Good wide receivers can break a Super Bowl wide open. Great ones do it with regularity.
Only a handful of pass-catchers have made a significant impact across multiple NFL championship games – and Jerry Rice predictably leads that list. Rice has no equal when it comes to Super Bowl performances as a receiver. Rob Gronkowski shares the same honor among tight ends.
Here's a closer look at the players who recorded the most receiving touchdowns all-time in Super Bowl history.
All-Time Super Bowl Receiving Touchdown Leaders
| Rank | Player | Appearances | Receiving TDs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |   Jerry Rice* |
4 | 8 |
| 2 |   Rob Gronkowski |
5 | 5 |
| T3 | Cliff Branch* |
3 | 3 |
| T3 |  Antonio Freeman |
2 | 3 |
| T3 |  John Stallworth* |
4 | 3 |
| T3 | Lynn Swann* |
4 | 3 |
25 tied at 2.
*Pro Football Hall of Famer
Editor's Note: Super Bowls below are listed as part of the NFL season, not the date the game was played. For example, Super Bowl XXIII took place on Jan. 22, 1989, but was the last game of the 1988 NFL postseason.
1. Jerry Rice (8 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl XXIII (1988): 1 TD
- Super Bowl XXIV (1989): 3 TDs
- Super Bowl XXIX (1994): 3 TDs
- Super Bowl XXXVII (2002): 1 TD
If any NFL player put together a four-game stretch where he racked up 33 catches for 589 yards and eight touchdowns, it would be national news. Now imagine if those contests were NFL championship matchups – and then check out Rice's Super Bowl game log.
Rice's regular-season resume is incredible enough, but add in a pair of three-TD showings in Super Bowl action – he's still the only player to achieve the feat even once – and a 215-yard explosion in his Super Bowl debut in early 1989, and there's no challenging his status as the greatest all-time NFL receiver.
His only Super Bowl blemish? Coming up short in his sole league title game appearance with the Oakland Raiders (a 48-21 loss to the Tampa Bay Bucs at Super Bowl XXXVII) despite putting up 77 yards and a touchdown as a 40-year-old.
2. Rob Gronkowski (5 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl XLVI (2011): 0 TDs
- Super Bowl XLIX (2014): 1 TDs
- Super Bowl LII (2017): 2 TDs
- Super Bowl LIII (2018): 0 TDs
- Super Bowl LV (2020): 2 TDs
The Gronk Spike has been a fixture at three different Super Bowls, courtesy of the most prolific tight end in NFL championship history.
Gronkowski had a quiet first Super Bowl appearance, settling for 26 scoreless yards in a 21-17 loss to the New York Giants. But that was the last time Gronk struggled in the Big Game: He scored five TDs over his next four showings, adding 338 combined yards while winning three NFL titles over that span.
Gronk might not be everyone's flavor off the field, but you can't argue with his standing as one of the most gifted athletes to ever grace the tight end position.
T3. Cliff Branch (3 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl XI (1976): 0 TDs
- Super Bowl XV (1980): 2 TDs
- Super Bowl XVIII (1983): 1 TD
In the mid-1970s, you wouldn't find many receivers more prolific than Cliff Branch – but it wasn't until later in his career he could show off those skills on the biggest stage.
The three-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl receiver was held to just 20 scoreless yards in his first NFL championship appearance, a 32-14 Oakland Raiders' win over the Minnesota Vikings at Super Bowl XI. But he was a much bigger factor moving forward, putting up a combined 161 yards and three scores to help lead the Raiders to victory at Super Bowl XV (27-10 over Philadelphia) and Super Bowl XVIII (a 38-9 rout of Washington).
The former collegiate track star passed away in 2019, and was honored posthumously with a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame three years later.
T3. Antonio Freeman (3 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl XXXI (1996): 1 TD
- Super Bowl XXXII (1997): 2 TDs
As good as Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre was (and he was very good), every legendary QB needs great receivers – and Antonio Freeman was easily one of Favre's faves.
Prior to winning the 1998 receiving yards title, Freeman led Green Bay to consecutive Super Bowl appearances, where the Packers went 1-1. Freeman was one of the best players on either team in both games, going for 105 yards and a score at Super Bowl XXXI (a 35-21 win over New England) and adding 126 yards and two touchdowns in the Packers' 31-24 defeat against the Denver Broncos a year later.
Green Bay went an impressive 66-30 in Freeman's six seasons as a starting wideout – and he was one of the biggest reasons why.
T3. John Stallworth (3 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl IX (1974): 0 TDs
- Super Bowl X (1975): 0 TDs
- Super Bowl XIII (1978): 2 TDs
- Super Bowl XIV (1979): 1 TD
Injuries robbed Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Stallworth of a whopping 44 games during his NFL career – but when his body cooperated, he was one of the best pass-catchers of his time.
After playing a bit part in the Steelers' victories at Super Bowl IX and Super Bowl X, Stallworth was a difference-maker in Super Bowl XIII, turning three catches into 115 yards and a pair of scores in a 35-31 win over Dallas. His encore (121 yards, 1 TD) was nearly as impressive as Pittsburgh repeated with a 31-19 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
He earned induction into the Hall of Fame despite his litany of injuries – and these Super Bowl performances went a long way in getting him there.
T3. Lynn Swann (3 touchdowns)
- Super Bowl IX (1974): 0 TDs
- Super Bowl X (1975): 1 TD
- Super Bowl XIII (1978): 1 TD
- Super Bowl XIV (1979): 1 TD
Lynn Swann wasn't the only future Hall of Fame wide receiver legendary quarterback Terry Bradshaw targeted during the Steelers' incredible run of Super Bowl appearances.
Swann was a complete non-factor in Pittsburgh's Super Bowl IX win, but made up for it with emphasis over his next three appearances. Swann scored a touchdown in each, while compiling an incredible 364 yards – highlighted by a 161-yard performance in a 21-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys at Super Bowl X.
Between Bradshaw, Stallworth, Swann, running back Franco Harris and a truly elite defense, it's easy to see why the Steelers won four titles in six seasons.
