A ranking of the 30 Best Running Backs of All-Time
Over the course of NFL history, one of the most important positions on the field is the running back. In fact, I would even go as far to say running back is the second-most important position on the football field behind quarterback.
Having a solid running game opens up the passing game. It allows the offense to control the clock and run time off the clock in the closing seconds to run out the game. The key to winning football throughout the history of the league has been a good running game.
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Depending on the type of scheme, the running back is going to touch the ball the most other than the quarterback. While a quarterback can shred defenses, usually, with his arm, a running back has the ability to do much more damage than the quarterback by physically overpowering defenses and controlling tempo.
I think we all understand the significance of the running game in football, but these 30 players I’m about to name transcend the running game. They are more than an aspect of the offensive attack. All 30 of these running backs WERE the offensive attack for their teams for almost their entire careers.
Obviously, it’s very hard to compare different eras. The players are so much faster and stronger than they were in, say, the 1960s. Plus, offenses have changed and developed as the game has grown more popular, and the rules have changed to encourage scoring rather than defense.
It was difficult to sort through all of that, but I’m confident I made the right selections! If you think I didn’t get the list right, please feel free to leave a comment, so we can debate. We love feedback at FanSided because we’re all about the fans!
Without further ado, let’s get to the 30 Best Running backs of All-Time!
Next: 30. Marshawn Lynch
30. Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch is one of three active running backs on this list.
While he hasn’t broken into the top 30 in total rushing yards in NFL history, Lynch had 8,345 prior to Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Only in his eighth season in the league, Lynch has at least three more good seasons, physically, left in him and should easily surpass 10,000 total rushing yards. Lynch is sort of an oddball, though, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he got bored of playing football or just decided to do other things.
Regardless of what he does, Lynch will go down as one of Seattle’s best running backs, especially after his epic run in the playoffs against the New Orleans Saints that officially put Beast Mode on the map.
Next: 29. Priest Holmes
29. Priest Holmes
Although Priest Holmes’ rushing totals don’t exactly stack up very well against the league’s best, Holmes was one of the best running backs I’ve ever seen.
After spending his first four seasons with the Ravens, one as a starter, Holmes was replaced by Jamal Lewis and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. Holmes was the best running back in the league over the next four seasons. Holmes was an All-Pro three times during his time with the Chiefs and set the record for touchdowns with 27 in 2003. The record has been broken several times since, but Holmes was the most successful running back in NFL history for a short time.
Holmes’ career was dramatically shortened by major injuries. After setting the touchdown record in 2003, Holmes played 15 games combined in 2004 and 2005. Then, Holmes missed the entire 2006 season and only played four games in 2007.
Who knows what could have been with Holmes?
Next: 28. Thomas Jones
28. Thomas Jones
Thomas Jones was never really thought to be that good of a running back during his time in the league. Now that his career is over, it’s easy to see how undervalued he actually was.
Jones ranks 24th in total rushing yards with 10,591 yards and ahead of some really good running backs that get more credit than Jones ever did. Jones played for five teams in his 11 seasons, which is pretty ridiculous considering how consistent Jones actually was.
Jones was able to stay healthy for almost all of his career in the NFL unlike a lot more talented running backs than Jones.
Next: 27. Eddie George
27. Eddie George
Eddie George is the epitome of a “workhorse back” in the NFL. George never led the league in yards-per-carry or anything like that, but he consistently carried the load, literally, for the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans.
In his nine seasons in the league, George failed to break 1,000 yards only twice, and one of those times was in his final year as a backup for the Dallas Cowboys.
George isn’t the most skilled of the backs on the list, but he knew what he was good at and he ran over people.
Next: 26. Frank Gore
26. Frank Gore
Frank Gore often gets overlooked as one of the all-time NFL greats, but his statistics say otherwise.
In his tenth season in the league, Gore is 21st on the league’s all-time rushing list at 10,679 yards, and he doesn’t appear to be done just yet.
As Colin Kaepernick has taken over San Francisco’s offense, Gore’s role has diminished slightly, but he’s still one of the top running backs in the league when he gets the carries to prove it. Gore might be on his last legs, but he’s still got something left in the tank.
Ultimately, Gore should finish around 12,500 yards in his career if he plays another two seasons, which would put him at ninth all-time in rushing yards just above the legendary Jim Brown.
Next: 25. Tiki Barber
25. Tiki Barber
The talent was always there with Tiki Barber, but he had a knack for fumbling the football. Between 2000-2004, Barber fumbled 35 times in 62 games.
Barber cleared up the fumbles later in his career, but Barber left so many more yards left on the table with all those fumbles. Barber ranks 25th all-time in rushing yards, just behind Frank Gore, at 10,449 yards.
It was semi-surprising when Barber decided to retire. He did play ten seasons with the Giants, but Barber was only 31 years old and had just finished a season in which he rushed for 1,662 yards and an astonishing 5.1 yards-per-carry.
Knowing what we know now about concussions and all of their effects, Barber deserves credit for hanging up the cleats when he felt it was the right time. Like many other players in the league, Barber still left us wondering what could have been had he stayed with the team for a few more seasons.
Next: 24. Warrick Dunn
24. Warrick Dunn
Warrick Dunn is one of the best dual-threat running backs the game has ever seen. He had the size and power to run between the tackles, but he also had the quickness and speed to catch passes out of the backfield and make guys miss.
Dunn only rushed for more than 1,000 yards in five of his 12 seasons, but Dunn also surpassed 400 receiving yards in another four seasons.
Dunn’s ability to cause problems out for opposing defenses was one of the main reasons the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had so much success in the late ‘90s and early 2000s.
Next: 23. John Riggins
23. John Riggins
John Riggins was the Super Bowl MVP of the 1982 Super Bowl while a member of the Washington Redskins. Riggins ranks 16th in total rushing yards with 11,352 yards.
Riggins was a touchdown machine in the NFL. In his 14 seasons, Riggins scored 104 touchdowns.
Riggins was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992.
Next: 22. Ricky Williams
22. Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams has always been a personal favorite of mine while he was in the league.
In his 11 seasons in the league, Williams rushed for 10,009 yards, which ranks 29th all-time.
After rushing for two 1,000 yard seasons in his first three years in the league with New Orleans Saints, Williams was traded to the Miami Dolphins where he broke out in his first season in 2002. In that season, Williams rushed for a league-leading 1,853 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Williams career went downhill from there. He rushed for 1,372 yards in the next season, but after a failed drug test in 2004, Williams retired from football for one year. He came back in 2005 and played in 12 games with the Dolphins before missing the entire 2006 season and only played one game in 2007.
Even after missing all those games and only playing in 13 games in four seasons, Williams returned to the Dolphins in 2008 and stayed for three seasons before joining the Baltimore Ravens. In those last four seasons, Williams played in every game and rushed for 1,121 yards in 2009.
It’s not fair to Williams to wonder what if he would have been like had he not suffered from depression and social anxiety that led to his issues off the football field, but if Williams had played virtually at all between 2003-2008, Williams would easily be in the top ten in rushing yards.
Next: 21. Fred Taylor
21. Fred Taylor
Often overlooked because he played almost all of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Fred Taylor is another one of the games best dual-threat running backs.
To call Taylor a dual-threat running back actually diminishes what he was, though. Taylor’s 11,695 total rushing yards ranks 15th all-time.
Taylor rushed for more than 1,000 yards in seven of his 13 seasons, but he also battled injuries throughout his entire career.
Fred Taylor was a beast!
Next: 20. Terrell Davis
20. Terrell Davis
Maybe I’m a little biased because I wore a Terrell Davis jersey for like three years for school pictures between third and fifth grade, but I still think Davis is easily one of the best 30 running backs in NFL history.
Davis only played seven seasons in the league, but he rushed for 7,607 yards in those seven seasons. If not for major injuries, Davis would have been one of the best running backs the league has ever seen.
In his first four seasons, Davis rushed for 6,413 yards and was the key to the Denver Broncos’ back-to-back Super Bowls in 1998 and 1999.
In the 1998-99 season, Davis rushed for 2,008 yards, which made him the fourth running back ever to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season.
After that season, Davis played just 17 games in the next three seasons and was forced to retire. After his first four seasons, Davis was easily on pace to break the NFL rushing record and would have if he would have been able to stay healthy.
Next: 19. Edgerrin James
19. Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James often gets overlooked because he played in the shadow of the best quarterback of all-time, Peyton Manning, in Indianapolis.
James ranks 11th in total rushing yards with 12,246. While most of his success came with the Colts, James also had 1,000-plus rushing yard seasons with the Arizona Cardinals in 2006 and 2007.
James is a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer when he is eligible in 2016.
Next: 18. Earl Campbell
18. Earl Campbell
Earl Campbell might be a little low on the list, but based on his career achievements, he’s still a top 20 running back off all-time. I just can’t justify ranking Campbell higher than 18th.
Campbell got off to one of the hottest starts from a running back early in his career and he led the NFL in rushing in his first three seasons in the league. Not too shabby, eh?
Unfortunately, like a lot of running backs who rush for 1,900-plus yards in one season, Campbell peaked after his third season and only rushed for 1,000 yards in one of his last four seasons in the league.
Ultimately, Campbell finished his career with 9,407 rushing yards, which ranks 33rd all-time.
Next: 17. Jamal Lewis
17. Jamal Lewis
After replacing the talented Priest Holmes in Baltimore, Jamal Lewis was one of the most phenomenal combinations of size and speed the league has ever seen.
Lewis also had one of the league’s best seasons for a running back in 2003.
In that season, Lewis rushed for 2,066 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. Lewis joined the 2,000 yard club that season and was within 50 yards of Erick Dickerson’s single-season rushing record.
Next: 16. Jerome Bettis
16. Jerome Bettis
Built more like a “Bus,” Jerome Bettis took the NFL by surprise with his quick feet and nimble cuts for such a big dude.
Bettis bowled over anyone in his path for 13,662 total rushing yards in his career, which ranks sixth in total rush yards in NFL history. Bettis was the ultimate bruising running back, but he also had the speed to break away from defenders for runs of 40, 50, and even 70-plus yards.
Bettis won one Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was a six-time Pro-Bowler in his 13 seasons.
Next: 15. Franco Harris
15. Franco Harris
Franco Harris paved the way for the two running backs ranked behind him, Jerome Bettis and Jamal Lewis.
Harris is the most physical runner in NFL history, and he was one of the biggest, toughest men to play running back.
Harris was a huge part of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ four Super Bowl victories during the 1970s and early 80s. Harris finished his career with 12,120 rushing yards in 13 seasons and ranks 13th all-time in total rushing yards.
Next: 14. Marcus Allen
14. Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen wasn’t one of the best rushers the game has seen, but he played the position for 16 seasons, which is just about impossible to do as a running back.
Allen only rushed for more than 1,000 yards in only three of those 16 seasons, but he proved his worth as a dual-threat back and a pass-catcher out of the backfield.
In 1985, Allen led the league in yards-from-scrimmage with 2,314 yards, a league-leading 1,759 rushing yards and 555 receiving yards.
Next: 13. Thurman Thomas
13. Thurman Thomas
Thurman Thomas is another one of those great Buffalo Bills running backs who were so consistent during their careers. Thomas rushed for more than 1,000 yards in eight of his first nine seasons and was a five-time Pro-Bowler during his career.
Thomas is 14th all-time in total rushing yards with 12,074 yards in 13 seasons with Buffalo and Miami.
Thomas was a very underrated receiver out of the backfield as well. Thomas totaled 4,458 receiving yards and caught 23 touchdowns during his career.
Next: 12. Tony Dorsett
12. Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett was the dual-threat running back before dual-threat running backs were a thing. He basically paved the way for the hybrid, pass-catching back that could also run between the tackles, although he never had more than 459 receiving yards in one season.
Dorsett ranks eighth all-time with 12,739 total rushing yards. Even with such prolific numbers, Dorsett often gets overlooked because of Cowboys’ great Emmitt Smith.
Dorsett went to four Pro Bowls in his career and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1994.
Next: 11. Marshall Faulk
11. Marshall Faulk
I wish that I could have put Marshall Faulk in the top ten. That’s how good I think he actually was. Unfortunately, I had to settle with Faulk as the 11th best running back in NFL history.
Faulk’s 12,279 total rushing yards ranks tenth all-time, but it was his presence as a receiver that truly set him above the rest of the other running backs of all-time. As much as any other player was a dual-threat out of the backfield, Faulk was the penultimate dual-threat running back.
In his career, Faulk caught 767 passes for 6,875 yards and 36 touchdowns. Add that to his rushing numbers, and Faulk is one of the most dynamic players in NFL history. Faulk totaled 19,154 yards-from-scrimmage and 136 touchdowns in his 12-season career.
Faulk played an influential role in the St. Louis Rams’ Super Bowl in 2001 and was named to back-t0-back MVPs in 2000 and 2001.
Next: 10. Adrian Peterson
10. Adrian Peterson
While Adrian Peterson is going through a dark time right now, he’s still one of the best running backs to ever play the game. His statistics don’t match up with all-time greatest just yet, but Peterson is in the middle of his prime and has so much more time to climb the rushing ranks.
Peterson has otherworldly speed and power, especially for a running back playing the game today. Imagine if he played on a team with a quarterback through the first eight seasons in a league.
Peterson has 10,190 rushing yards through seven seasons, basically, and he’s been voted into the Pro Bowl six times. Peterson nearly broke Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record in 2011. Peterson’s 2,097 rushing yards fell just eight yards short of Dickerson’s record of 2,105 rushing yards.
While Peterson likely won’t come close to that total in a season again, I don’t think 5,000 more rushing yards is out of the question for Peterson, which would move him into third or fourth all-time in rushing yards.
Next: 9. O.J. Simpson
9. O.J. Simpson
O.J. Simpson was one of the most exciting backs to ever play in the NFL. Every time he touched the ball, Simpson was a threat to take it the distance.
Simpson was the first running back to break the 2,000 yard mark in one season. Simpson set the record as a member of the Buffalo Bills in 1973.
Even more remarkable than setting the single season rushing record, Simpson is the only player in the 2,000 yard club who didn’t play 16 games. Simpson surpassed 2,000 yards in only 14 games. In other words, Simpson did, in 14 games, what took all the other running backs to do in 16. Wowzer.
We all know how it turned out for Simpson, though. Real sad stuff.
Next: 8. Curtis Martin
8. Curtis Martin
Curtis Martin is the symbol of consistency at running back in the NFL. In his 11-year career, Martin rushed for 14,101 yards, which ranks 4th-most all-time behind Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, and Barry Sanders. Not bad company.
In his first ten seasons, Martin rushed for 1,000 yards or more in every season. It wasn’t until his last season as a member of the New York Jets that all those hits started to catch up with him. Martin missed four games that season, but he had already been replaced as the starter.
For how good he was throughout his whole career, it’s amazing he didn’t receive more accolades. Martin was only a five-time Pro-Bowler and an All-Pro only once in his career. Sometimes it’s hard to acknowledge greatness while it’s happening, I guess.
Next: 7. LaDainian Tomlinson
7. LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson is easily the best running back since Barry Sanders retired. Adrian Peterson is breathing down his neck, but Tomlinson has already re-wrote the record books and revolutionized the running back position.
In his first eight seasons in the league, Tomlinson never rushed for less than 1,110 yards and never had less than 367 receiving yards. Tomlinson is the reason why so many NFL teams value players like Jamaal Charles, LeSean McCoy, and Le’Veon Bell, all players who can catch and run out of the backfield as well as they run between the tackles.
In 2006, Tomlinson scored 31 touchdowns, which broke the record touchdowns in a season. He was also named NFL MVP for his play in that season.
Next: 6. Gale Sayers
6. Gale Sayers
Gale Sayers only lasted four full seasons in the league but tried to play in seven.
Sayers was one of the quickest, smoothest runners the game had ever seen up until that point and probably since, to be totally honest.
There was just something about the way Sayers glided on the football field that was electric to watch. Obviously, I wasn’t alive then, and likely neither were you, but based on clips, Sayers would be a star in today’s game.
It’s a real shame Sayers only played as long as he did.
Next: 5. Emmitt Smith
5. Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith is the all-time leader in total rushing yards with 18,355 yards and had a great career with the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals.
Smith also had the great fortune of staying healthy most of his career. This is nothing against Smith, but he did stick around for a couple extra years gunning for the all-time rushing record.
If I was in the situation, I would have done the same thing; however, it needs to be noted that Smith wasn’t the best running back to ever play, just the luckiest.
I’m only being half serious. Smith deserves all the accolades he gets for breaking the rushing record. No running back was as dominant as Smith was for a longer period of time.
Smith was selected for the Pro Bowl nine times in his 15 seasons, and he led the league in rushing yards four of his 15 years in the league. Smith was also the 1993 regular season MVP and MVP of the Super Bowl in the same season.
Next: 4. Walter Payton
4. Walter Payton
Most people have Walter Payton higher on their list, but I just couldn’t think of him jumping any of the top three rushers on the list.
Payton ranks second all-time in total rushing yards with 16,726 yards. In his 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears, Payton was a nine-time Pro-Bowler and a five-time All-Pro.
As we get closer to the best running back of all-time, it’s ridiculous not to acknowledge that Payton was as good as any running back to ever play the game. We’re splitting hairs with these top four, maybe five, running backs.
Next: 3. Eric Dickerson
3. Eric Dickerson
Through the first seven of his 11 seasons, there was never a running back as statistically dominant as Eric Dickerson.
In those seven years, Dickerson totaled 11,226 of his 13,259 yards. If Dickerson were able to stay even a smidge more healthy in his last four seasons, there’s no doubt in my mind that he would have been the total rushing yards leader until Emmitt Smith broke the actual record a decade later.
Dickerson also holds the single-season total rushing record with 2,105 yards in one season. As I mentioned, Adrian Peterson was only eight yards away from breaking Dickerson’s record in 2011.
Next: 2. Jim Brown
2. Jim Brown
In terms of awards and recognition, there is no running back as decorated as Jim Brown.
In his nine seasons in the league, Brown was a Pro-Bowler for every single one of those seasons, and he was the leading rusher in eight of those nine seasons. Brown also was the NFL MVP four times during his career.
Brown is ranked ninth in total rushing yards with 12,312 yards, but the stats don’t reflect his actual impact on the field. Football was so much different than it is now, so I anticipate multiple future players to come close to Brown’s total yards.
No one will be able to replicate Brown’s impact on the field. You can tell in his highlights that he’s one of the best athletes of all-time and one of the most ridiculous combinations of power and speed the league has ever seen.
Next: 1. Barry Sanders
1. Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders only played nine seasons in the NFL and retired when he was only 30 years old. He ranks third all-time in rushing yards with 15,269 yards.
There’s never been another player like Sanders, who could change direction on a dime and make people miss. It just doesn’t get any better than Sanders.
With the emphasis on passing in the NFL these days, we’ll likely never see a player like Sanders ever again.
It’s not hard to imagine what Sanders’ career would have been if he kept playing in the NFL. By all indications, Sanders was still in his prime when he retired. In his last season, Sanders finished with 1,491 rushing yards, but his yards-per-carry (4.3) was down almost two full yards from his record-setting 1997 season and lowest since his his fourth year in the league.
We’ll never know what would have happened if Sanders played as long as Smith (14 years) or Payton (12 years), but I think it’s safe to safe he would have destroyed the rushing record.