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The running back position over the history of the NFL has seen some truly dynamic players. We’ve seen power backs, small rushers, cat-quick runners, and those with the rare combination of both elite size and speed. Even more, each of these players brought their sense of personality to the gridiron. Without further adieu, here are the rankings for the top-25 running backs in NFL history.
25. Frank Gore
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At 38 years of age, Gore still produced as an NFL back. This fact alone is highly impressive. Gore currently ranks No. 3 all-time in most rushing yards for a single career (16,000). The Florida native paired short, choppy steps with above-average agility. He consistently demonstrated immense patience in seeking out running lanes. In 2019, Gore passed Barry Sanders to become No. 3 on the all-time rushing list.
24. Marshawn Lynch
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Putting his proclivity for Skittles aside, Lynch was simply a fantastic football player. His stop-and-start style of running makes the knees of defenders buckle. Another aspect of Lynch’s well-rounded game is the power with which he ran. There’s an anger seeping through in virtually every carry he gets. Lynch led the league twice in rushing touchdowns. He also can be categorized as a five-time Pro Bowler, a First-Team All-Pro selection, and a Super Bowl Champion.
23. Shaun Alexander
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The former Alabama star is one of only nine NFL players to have accumulated at least 100 rushing touchdowns. During his MVP season in 2005, Alexander accrued 1,880 rushing yards. He also rushed for an eye-popping 27 touchdowns — which totals the second-highest mark for a single season in NFL history (with the record being 28). Alexander’s brutish running style led to a career in which he rushed for 9,453 yards and 100 touchdowns.
22. Joe Perry
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As part of the iconic ‘Million Dollar Backfield’, Perry relished being the San Francisco 49ers’ primary offensive threat. Perry was a one-cut-and-go type of runner. Once he hit the hole and got to the second level, it was virtually impossible to stop him in the open field. He was known for becoming the first NFL player to rush for at least 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Duly, he retired as the NFL’s All-Time leading rusher (though that mark has since been broken). The three-time First-Team All-Pro was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.
21. Edgerrin James
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“The U” has churned out countless All-Pro NFL running backs. James is among the best to have ever played at Miami… and that’s saying something. Throughout his career, James rushed for 12,246 yards and 72 touchdowns. He also caught 433 passes for 3,364 yards and 11 scores. The four-time Pro Bowler led the league in rushing twice and was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. James was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.
20. Derrick Henry
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Now 30 years old, Henry is approaching the age where running backs tend to fall off the proverbial cliff. Let’s be real about one thing: The Florida native is a physical freak. He’s essentially a fridge on wheels out there when defenders bounce off of him. While with the Titans, Henry led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns in both 2019 (1,540 yards, 16 TD) and 2020 (2,027 yards, 17 TD) — and was leading the league once again in 2021 before an injury ended his regular season after eight games. Through the 2023 season, Henry has rushed for over 9,500 yards and a whopping 90 TDs over his career. Let’s see how Henry performs in Year 1 as a Baltimore Raven.
19. Terrell Davis
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Davis has a laundry list of personal achievements. His MVP season came in 1998 — when he accumulated career highs in rushing yards (2,008) and touchdowns (21). The three-time Pro Bowler shined most during the playoffs. In both of Denver’s Super Bowl years, Davis combined for 11 touchdowns and 1,049 yards on the ground during postseason play. He was truly instrumental in helping the franchise win at the pinnacle of the sport.
18. Jerome Bettis
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Bettis was a freakish athlete in the best sense of the term. He looked more suited to play along the defensive line than he did as a running back. It’s what made Bettis such a revered and likable figure. Generously listed at 252 pounds during his career, Bettis was an exceptional runner of the football. The six-time Pro Bowler racked up numerous accolades en route to a 2015 induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He currently sits at No. 8 all-time in career rushing yards (13,662).
17. John Riggins
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Spanning throughout his 14-year career, Riggins is only one of seven running back to have rushed for at least 10,000 yards (11,352) and 100 touchdowns (104). The Kansas native led the Redskins to a victory in Super Bowl XVII over the Miami Dolphins. Riggins garnered MVP honors with a 38-carry, 166-yard performance (which included one touchdown).
16. Franco Harris
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To this day, Harris is the all-time career rushing leader in Pittsburgh Steelers franchise history (11,950). The nine-time Pro Bowler’s career can also be marked by a ridiculously fantastic postseason mark. Harris helped Pittsburgh win four Super Bowls. He was the MVP of Super Bowl IX — as he rushed for 158 yards and one touchdown on 38 carries. Few can compare to Harris in terms of winning at the highest level.
15. Thurman Thomas
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Thomas was the bell cow back for the franchise that infamously lost four-straight Super Bowls. Though the Bills failed to bring a Super Bowl title home to Buffalo, it was not due to Thomas’ play on the field. Thomas made the Pro Bowl five-straight times during this overlapping period. He also had an eight-year stretch in which he rushed for at least 1,000 yards every season.
14. Curtis Martin
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Martin made Pro Bowl appearances in three of his first four years in the league. After a relatively solid three-year stretch, Martin came out of nowhere to garner two First-Team All-Pro denotations (2001, 2004). At 31 years of age, Martin impressively led the league in rushing yards (1,697). Consistency-wise, Martin’s quickness and vision enabled him to rush for at least 1,000 yards in 10-straight seasons.
13. Marcus Allen
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The stormy relationship with Al Davis led to Allen being jettisoned on the Oakland bench for years during his prime. At 33 years of age, Allen finally left for rival Kansas City — where he led the AFC in rushing touchdowns (12). He then led the Chiefs in rushing for four-straight seasons. For his career, Allen notched 12,243 yards and 123 touchdowns. He ranks No. 14 all-time in career rushing yards — right behind James and narrowly in front of Harris.
12. Tony Dorsett
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To this day, Dorsett still holds the NFL record for the longest rush in history (99 yards). The faithful in Dallas will always have a soft spot for Dorsett — as he rushed for at least 1,000 yards in eight of 11 seasons with the franchise. His time with the Cowboys included four Pro Bowl appearances, an Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, and three separate occasions in which he was an all-league player. Dorsett currently ranks No. 10 all-Ttime in career rushing yards (12,739).
11. Adrian Peterson
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The seven-time Pro Bowler set an NFL record (as a rookie) for the most rushing yards in a single game (296). On seven different occasions, Peterson garnered All-League honors — including an MVP Award in 2012. Despite having a taller frame, Peterson was excellent at ‘making himself small’ when bursting through the line of scrimmage. His acceleration was simply mind-boggling — as was his penchant for warding off defenders with stiff arms and quick cuts. Peterson is currently the No. 5 rusher all-time with 14,918 yards.
10. Earl Campbell
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For his career, Campbell made five Pro Bowls, three First-Team All-Pro teams, and was the 1979 MVP. He led the league in rushing three times and rushed to an impressive 4.3 yards-per-carry clip. Campbell’s style of running limited his career to eight years. However, he established himself as an all-time great. Campbell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
9. Eric Dickerson
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Dickerson still holds a record that has yet to be broken. In 1984, he rushed for 2,105 yards. This equates to an unbelievable 131.6 yards-per-game average. Dickerson garnered a place in the Hall of Fame in 1999. His combination of speed, size, and quickness rarely has been seen in the NFL since his retirement. Simply put, Dickerson was a special back.
8. Gale Sayers
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Sayers starred for the Chicago Bears as both a running back and as a returner. Sayers impressively averaged 30.6 yards per kick return. If we toss away the final two injury-riddled years of his career, Sayers averaged 5.18 yards per carry. This would place Sayers fourth all-time in this capacity for a running back. His rookie season was fantastic — as Sayers accumulated 22 total touchdowns and 2,272 all-purpose yards. Sayers became the youngest inductee (34) into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. For the four-time Pro Bowler, it’s simply a situation of ‘what if’ when it came to Sayers’ injury history.
7. Marshall Faulk
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Faulk won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award in back-to-back-to-back seasons. He also took home the 2000 MVP Award after accumulating 26 touchdowns and 2,189 yards of total offense. Though he was an every-down player, Faulk’s ability to act as a dual-threat rusher/pass-catcher opened the door for other players to carve out niches as third-down backs (such as Darren Sproles and Brian Westbrook).
6. O.J. Simpson
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Though he will be largely known for his involvement in the famed 1994 criminal murder trial, one cannot forget Simpson’s brilliance as a football player. He led the league in rushing on four separate occasions and was a First-Team All-Pro on multiple occasions. Simpson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. If you’re able to separate his off-the-field issues from his on-field exploits, objectively Simpson was a supremely talented athlete.
5. LaDainian Tomlinson
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LT reached double-digit touchdown totals in each of his first 10 seasons in the league. The five-time Pro Bowler won the 2006 MVP Award based upon a season in which he rushed for 1,815 yards and an NFL record 28 touchdowns. Tomlinson had a stretch in which he scored at least one touchdown in 18-straight contests. The TCU product is second all-time in career rushing touchdowns (145). He also ranks seventh in career rushing yards (13,684) and third in receptions for a running back (624).
4. Emmitt Smith
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There might not be another back boasting Smith’s resume. Aside from the fact that he was an eight-time Pro Bowler, a four-time First-Team All-Pro, and a league MVP, Smith also led the NFL in both rushing yards and touchdowns on four separate occasions. To top it all off, he played on three Super Bowl-winning teams. To this day, Smith is the NFL’s All-Time leader in rushing touchdowns (164) and rushing yards (18,355).
3. Walter Payton
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The nine-time Pro Bowler held many individual records at the time of his retirement in 1987. Payton accumulated 10 seasons with at least 1,200 yards rushing. In addition, he was a fantastic receiver out of the backfield — finishing his career with 492 receptions. Though the likes of Jordan, Butkus, Banks, Sosa, Chelios, and Ditka are core staples within the Windy City, there may not be a more respected athlete in Chicago than Payton. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993. Six years later, he passed away at the age of 45.
2. Barry Sanders
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Sanders did things on the field that were utterly perplexing. At only 5-foot-8, 203 pounds, he shouldn’t have been an every-down back. Duly, it’s insane to believe that a player of his stature would lead the NFL in rushing in four separate seasons. Sanders essentially was a human pinball — as he rarely took a clean hit. His ability to evade defenders in short spaces was akin to making someone miss in a phone booth. Sanders’ agility remains second to none.
1. Jim Brown
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Brown was as great a force as anyone’s seen on the professional football level. Standing 6-foot-2 and roughly 230 pounds, Brown was the size of a defensive lineman with the speed of an Olympic sprinter. He bowled over defenders as if they were parking cones. The opposition was essentially rendered useless whilst Brown was carrying the rock. Brown made Pro Bowl appearances in every season of his nine-year career. In eight of these seasons, he led the NFL in rushing. This level of sheer domination is simply mind-numbing. Brown retired at 29 years of age to pursue other avenues. Upon retiring, he finished with 12,312 yards, a 5.2 yards-per-carry average, and 106 touchdowns. All were NFL records at the time (though they’ve since been broken).
