The guy in Hine Ward Steelers jersey would have 1,013 catches (8th), 12,457 yards (16th) and 88 touchdowns (10th).

“I think that puts him in the Hall of Fame, first ballot,” said Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. “Two Super Bowl rings, MVP, thousand catches, all of Swann’s and Stallworth’s records “And Hines needs something,” Arians continued. “He’s always got to have a chip on his shoulder or a goal just to keep him rolling. I love when he’s frosty and he’s got a chip on his shoulder.”

When asked about the 46 catches he needs for 1,000, he turned blue with excitement.

“That’s a personal goal,” Ward said. “That’s like the 3,000th hit, the 600th home run.”

Only seven NFL players have caught 1,000 passes: Jerry Rice (1,549), Marvin Harrison (1,102), Cris Carter (1,101), Tim Brown (1,094), Terrell Owens (1,078), Tony Gonzalez (1,069) and Isaac Bruce (1,024).

“It would be awesome to get a thousand catches and do it all for one organization,” Ward said. “It’s not like I’m in a prolific passing offense, or playing in a dome. I think it’s just a milestone of the consistency I’ve had over my whole career, and just being there. But that would be huge. I can’t lie about that. That is on the back of my mind.