Michael Thomas said his NFL record means nothing as he and the New Orleans Saints eye Super Bowl glory.
Thomas broke the single-season record for catches, eclipsing Marvin Harrison in the Saints' 38-28 win over the Tennessee Titans.
Harrison's record of 143 set in 2002 was surpassed by Thomas on Sunday – the Saints receiver up to 145 catches following his performance against the Titans.
But championships and not individual records are what motivate 26-year-old Saints star Thomas.
"To be honest, it doesn't really mean nothing," said Thomas. "I don't take it for granted. But the fact that we still have more goals as a team [matters most].
"As far as the individual stuff that comes along with it, I would be selfish to be like, 'Oh, I just caught all these passes and did all this.' Ultimately I was catching the passes to win the game, to help my team be in the position we're in now.
"So I just want to keep catching passes and end up where we're going to be... That's ultimately what I'm here to do, and I feel like if I continue to do that I'll get more passes and I'll break more records."
Thomas, who helped the Saints improve to 12-3 for the season, continued: "At the end of the season we'll look up and see all the things that we accomplished, but right now we're focused on one common goal and that's a championship."
Congrats @Cantguardmike!!!! Single season reception record. Breaking the record on an incredible route he ran! Nasty! You literally can’t guard him! Fitting for his twitter handle.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 22, 2019
The exploits of Thomas earned praise from far and wide, with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James tweeting: "Congrats @Cantguardmike!!!! Single season reception record. Breaking the record on an incredible route he ran! Nasty! You literally can't guard him! Fitting for his twitter handle."
Thomas – a three-time Pro Bowler – replied: "Thank you for the support always. Keep inspiring everyone. Greatness only equals greatness."