Sanjay Lal re-joined Seattle's coaching staff on February 15, 2022, as offensive passing game coordinator/wide receivers after spending one year as Jacksonville's wide receivers coach (2021). Lal served as the Seahawks senior offensive assistant in 2020. He also coached receivers previously with Dallas (2018-19), Indianapolis (2017), Buffalo (2015-16), the N.Y. Jets (2012-14) and Oakland (2007-11).
In 2022, Lal helped lead a receiver room that saw Tyler Lockett finish with 84 catches for 1,033 yards and nine touchdowns, becoming the only player in the NFL with at least eight TD receptions in each of the past five seasons. Lockett became the second player in franchise history (Steve Largent) to record four-straight 1,000-yard seasons (2019-22). DK Metcalf led the team with a career-high 90 catches for 1,048 yards. The 90 receptions are the fourth-most in a single-season in Seattle history. Metcalf became the fifth player in NFL history to reach 50 catches, 900 yards, and five touchdowns in each of his first four seasons (Joey Galloway, A.J. Green, Randy Moss, Michael Thomas). Both Lockett and Metcalf were Pro Bowl alternates. The pair, along with WR Marquise Goodwin's 27 catches for 387 yards, helped QB Geno Smith set a franchise record with 4,282 passing yards while leading the NFL in completion percentage (69.8).
In 2020, the Seahawks featured two 1,000-yard receivers in Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. Lockett led the team with a franchise-record 100 receptions for 1,054 yards and 10 touchdowns while Metcalf earned AP All-Pro second-team honors after totaling a franchise-record 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl nod.
In 2019, the Cowboys had two 1,100-yard receivers in Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup for the first time since 2007. Cooper, who made the Pro Bowl, led the team with 79 receptions for 1,189 yards and eight touchdowns while Gallup became the third-youngest Cowboys receiver (23 years, 262 days) to reach the 1,000-yard plateau with 1,107 yards on 66 catches with six touchdowns. The two, along with WR Randall Cobb's 55 receptions for 828 yards and three scores, helped QB Dak Prescott enjoy a career year with more than 4,900 yards and 30 touchdowns and gave the Cowboys three players with 800-plus receiving yards for the first time since 2012.
In Lal's first season in Dallas in 2018, he helped break in a new receiving corps following the departure of WR Dez Bryant. WR Cole Beasley led all receivers with 65 receptions for 672 yards and three touchdowns. Lal's receivers got a boost when the Cowboys traded for Cooper from the Raiders at the trade deadline. In nine games with Dallas, Cooper was the team's No. 1 receiver as he tied for the fourth-most receiving first downs (39) and fourth-most touchdowns (six), had the eighth-most receptions (53) and ninth-most receiving yards (725) to lead the team and rank among the top 10 of all NFL wide receivers from Weeks 9-17.
In his lone season with the Colts, Lal oversaw a receiving corps that was led by WR T.Y. Hilton, who had 57 receptions (second on team) for 966 yards (team-high) and four touchdowns while earning a trip to the Pro Bowl as an alternate.
Before Indianapolis, he spent two seasons as the Bills wide receivers coach (2015-16). In 2015, WR Sammy Watkins recorded his first 1,000-yard campaign and led the NFL in average yards at the point of the catch (14.7). After returning from injury, Watkins finished the second half of the season ranked third in the NFL in receiving yards (900) from Weeks 9-17.
Prior to arriving in Buffalo, Lal spent three seasons (2012-14) with the N.Y. Jets and coached WR Eric Decker, who posted 74 catches for 962 yards and five touchdowns in 2014, logging a career-best game with 10 catches for 221 yards and a touchdown. In 2013, he guided WRs Jeremy Kerley and David Nelson, who finished first and second on the team in receptions, respectively. Kerley also posted a career-best 56 receptions in addition to 827 yards and a 14.8 yards per catch average in 2012.
Lal began his NFL coaching career spending five seasons (2007-2011) with the Oakland Raiders as the assistant wide receivers/quality control coach (2007-08) and wide receivers coach (2009-2011). Darrius Heyward-Bey enjoyed his most successful season under Lal's tutelage, totaling 64 receptions for 975 yards, both career-highs.
Before making the jump to the NFL, Lal coached collegiately at California (2004-06) as an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach, at Saint Mary's College (2004) as the quarterbacks and strength, speed and conditioning coach and at Los Medanos College (2003) as receivers coach.
Lal attended the University of Washington where he played wide receiver. He was on Washington's 1992 National Championship team and a member of two Rose Bowl teams. Lal was invited to training camp with the Raiders in 1995 and also spent time with the St. Louis Rams in 1998. He signed with the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe in 1999.tional Championship team and a member of two Rose Bowl teams. Lal was invited to training camp with the Raiders in 1995 and also spent time with the St. Louis Rams in 1998. He signed with the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe in 1999.
