The Denver Broncos have lost one of their first legends.
Former wide receiver Lionel Taylor passed away.
A member of the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame, Taylor was 89.
He was the leading receiver in AFL history and was the first receiver in pro football to have 100 catches in a season, via NFL historian Kevin Gallagher.
RIP Lionel Taylor 🙏🏻🕯️#Broncos Legend
The AFL's All-Time Leading Receiver
• The first player in pro football history with 100 receptions in a season
• Four-Time AFL All-Star
• Five-Time All-AFL selection
• Led the AFL in receptions in five of the league's first six… pic.twitter.com/RCPnYZ4vW4
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) August 13, 2025
A member of the inaugural 1960 Broncos, he played seven seasons for Denver.
He left as the franchise leader in receptions (543), receiving yards (6,872) and touchdown catches (44).
Notably, he did that in an era when pass catchers weren’t as prominent as they are now, and those records stood for decades.
Taylor also led the AFL in receiving yards in five of his first six years.
In his first season, he set the record for most receiving yards per game (102.9), making 92 catches for 1,235 yards and 12 scores.
Taylor set the record for the most receptions in a single season (100) in 1961, a franchise mark that stood for 39 years until 2000.
Though his career was short, ending with two seasons with the Houston Oilers, he never had fewer than 76 receptions from 1960 to 1965.
He was one of the four players inducted into the inaugural Denver Broncos Ring of Fame, and he is a member of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.
This is a loss for the organization, and they will likely honor him in some form during the season.
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