The 10 Best NFL Running Backs of All Time, Ranked

The running back position has always been one of the most crucial in the NFL.

More often than not, running backs serve as workhorses for the offense, and the physical toll of the position can be difficult to take over time.

The average career of an NFL running back lasts only 2.57 years, according to a 2019 report by the Denver Post, largely due to the physical demands and high injury risk associated with the position. That makes what the league’s most successful backs have done all the more incredible.

Elite RBs are still pivotal in offensive schemes, and their contributions in the red zone and on third downs specifically can often mean the difference between wins and losses. We took a look at the best running backs to ever play the game, factoring in stats, the nature of the league at the time they played, and overall accomplishments. Check out our choices are below.

*Note: All awards and stats listed below are from Pro Football Reference unless otherwise stated.

---

10. Frank Gore

• Teams/Years Played: San Francisco 49ers (2005–2014), Indianapolis Colts (2015–2017), Miami Dolphins (2018), Buffalo Bills (2019), New York Jets (2020)
• Championships & Awards:
  • Second-team All-Pro (2006)
  • 5-time Pro Bowl selection (2006, 2009, 2011–2013)
  • Art Rooney Award (2016)
• Iconic performance: Week 12 of the 2007 season against the Arizona Cardinals, Gore had 116 yards and 2 TDs on the ground, also catching 11 passes for 98 yards in a 37-31 49ers victory.

Known for his north-south running style, Frank Gore consistently broke tackles, and was known for getting tough extra yardage after contact. He rushed for over 1,000 yards in nine seasons, playing in 241 games at running back — more games than any other player has ever played at the position. That’s incredible longevity considering the hits RBs take. He currently ranks 3rd on the NFL’s all-time rushing yards list with 16,000 rushing yards, behind only Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton — more on them both later.

---

9. Earl Campbell

• Teams/Years Played: Houston Oilers (1978–1984), New Orleans Saints (1984–1985)
• Championships & Awards:
  • NFL Most Valuable Player (1979)
  • 3-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1978–1980)
  • NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1978)
  • 3-time first-team All-Pro (1978–1980)
  • 5-time Pro Bowl selection (1978–1981, 1983)
  • Bert Bell Award (1979)
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Iconic performance: November 20, 1978 vs. the Dolphins, Campbell went off, rushing for 199 yards and 4 touchdowns on 28 carries, leading the Oilers to a 35-30 win.

While Earl Campbell’s career was relatively short due to injuries resulting from his punishing running style, his dominance in his prime coupled with his physical ability place him among the top running backs in NFL history. He wasn’t just statistically impressive; Campbell embodied the essence of football’s physical demands, changing how the position was played and perceived. Over the course of his eight-year career, Campbell rushed for 9,407 yards and 74 touchdowns in 115 games, averaging 81.8 rushing yards per game.

---

8. Marshall Faulk

• Teams/Years Played: Indianapolis Colts (1994–1998), St. Louis Rams (1999–2006)
• Championships & Awards:
  • Super Bowl champion (1999)
  • NFL Most Valuable Player (2000)
  • 3-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1999–2001)
  • NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1994)
  • 3-time first-team All-Pro (1999–2001)
  • 3-time second-team All-Pro (1994, 1995, 1998)
  • 7-time Pro Bowl selection (1994, 1995, 1998–2002)
  • Bert Bell Award (2001)
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Iconic performance: October 15, 2000, against the Atlanta Falcons, Faulk had 208 rushing yards and a score, also adding 78 receiving yards in the Rams’ 45-29 win.

Marshall Faulk was not only a prolific rusher, he was one of the best receiving RBs in NFL history. He amassed 12,279 rushing yards and 6,875 receiving yards, making him the only player to surpass both 12,000 rushing yards and 6,000 receiving yards over his career. Faulk won three consecutive Offensive Player of the Year awards (1999, 2000, 2001), a feat no other player has achieved before or since. His combination of rushing and receiving touchdowns made him a game-changing force, and his ability to excel as a pass-catcher helped revolutionize the role of the running back in the modern NFL.

---

7. LaDainian Tomlinson

• Teams/Years Played: San Diego Chargers (2001–2009), New York Jets (2010–2011)
• Awards:
  • NFL Most Valuable Player (2006)
  • NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2006)
  • Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (2006)
  • 3-time first-team All-Pro (2004, 2006, 2007)
  • 3-time second-team All-Pro (2002, 2003, 2005)
  • 5-time Pro Bowl selection (2002, 2004–2007)
  • Bart Starr Award (2008)
  • Bert Bell Award (2006)
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Iconic performance: October 14, 2007, against the Raiders, Tomlinson rushed for 198 yards and four scores, single-handedly willing the Chargers to a 28-14 win.

Put simply, LaDainian Tomlinson dominated the early 2000s. He amassed 13,684 rushing yards (7th all-time) and 145 rushing touchdowns (2nd all-time), and his all-purpose yards total 18,456, places him among the most productive backs ever. One of LT’s most notable achievements was his 2006 season, which is considered one of the best individual performances in NFL history. He rushed for 1,815 yards and set an NFL record with 28 rushing touchdowns (31 total touchdowns), a mark that still stands today. Tomlinson also won the NFL MVP award that year, which is particularly significant as RBs rarely win the MVP in the modern quarterback-centric NFL.

---

6. Adrian Peterson

• Teams/Years Played: Minnesota Vikings (2007–2016), New Orleans Saints (2017), Arizona Cardinals (2017), Washington (2018–2019), Detroit Lions (2020), Tennessee Titans (2021), Seattle Seahawks (2021)
• Championships & Awards:
  • NFL Most Valuable Player (2012)
  • NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2012)
  • NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2007)
  • 4-time first-team All-Pro (2008, 2009, 2012, 2015)
  • 3-time second-team All-Pro (2007, 2010, 2013)
  • 7-time Pro Bowl selection (2007–2010, 2012, 2013, 2015)
  • 2-time Bert Bell Award (2008, 2012)
  • Art Rooney Award (2019)
• Iconic performance: November 4, 2007, Peterson ran for 296 yards and 3 TDs on 30 carries while with the Vikings in a 35-17 win over the Chargers.

Adrian Peterson’s career numbers speak for themselves. He ranks 5th on the NFL’s all-time rushing yards list with 14,918 yards, and he was one of the most consistent RBs of all time. Over a 10-year span (2007–2017), Peterson averaged more than 1,200 rushing yards per season, despite suffering a severe ACL and MCL tear in 2011. His ability to return in 2012 and rush for 2,097 yards, the second-most in a single season in NFL history, demonstrates remarkable resilience and consistency at the highest level.

---

5. Eric Dickerson

• Teams/Years Played: Los Angeles Rams (1983–1987), Indianapolis Colts (1987–1991), Los Angeles Raiders (1992), Atlanta Falcons (1993)
• Championships & Awards:
  • NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1986)
  • NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1983)
  • 3-time UPI NFC Offensive Player of the Year (1983, 1984, 1986)
  • 5-time first-team All-Pro (1983, 1984, 1986–1988)
  • 6-time Pro Bowl selection (1983, 1984, 1986–1989)
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Iconic performance: In the NFC divisional round on January 4, 1986, Dickerson dominated the Dallas Cowboys, running for 248 yards and 2 TDs on 34 carries in a 20-0 Rams win.

In his second season (1984), Dickerson set the NFL record for most rushing yards in a single season with 2,105 yards, a record that still stands. Between 1983 and 1989, Dickerson rushed for over 1,200 yards in seven consecutive seasons, including four seasons with over 1,500 yards. He led the NFL in rushing four times and retired with 13,259 yards, which currently ranks 9th all time. Dickerson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999, his first year of eligibility, further cementing his status as one of the all-time greats.

---

4. Jim Brown

• Teams/Years Played: Cleveland Browns (1957-1965)
• Championships & Awards:
  • NFL champion (1964)
  • 3-time NFL Most Valuable Player (1957, 1958, 1965)
  • NFL Rookie of the Year (1957
  •  8-time first-team All-Pro (1957–1961, 1963–1965)
  • Second-team All-Pro (1962)
  • 9-time Pro Bowl selection (1957–1965)
  • Bert Bell Award (1963)
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Iconic performance: November 24, 1957, against the L.A. Rams, Brown rushed for 237 yards and 4 TDs in a 45-31 Cleveland victory.

A true innovator of the game, it doesn’t get much better than Jim Brown. A unique blend of size, speed and agility, Brown led the NFL in rushing yards in eight of his nine seasons, which remains a record today. He also holds the NFL record for average yards per game (104.3), a testament to his consistent dominance. He ran for over 200 yards four times over his career, a feat some great running backs never achieve once. His toughness and durability are also legendary — Brown never missed a game during his career due to injury.

---

3. Barry Sanders

• Teams/Years Played: Detroit Lions (1989-1998)
• Awards:
  • NFL Most Valuable Player (1997)
  • 2-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1994, 1997)
  • NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1989)
  • 6-time first-team All-Pro (1989–1991, 1994, 1995, 1997)
  • 4-time second-team All-Pro (1992, 1993, 1996, 1998)
  • 10-time Pro Bowl selection (1989–1998)
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame selection (2004)
• Iconic performance: November 24, 1991, on the road vs. Minnesota, Sanders ran for 220 yards and 4 TDs in Detroit’s 34-14 win.

One of the primary reasons Barry Sanders ranks so high is his unparalleled agility and vision. His ability to change direction at full speed, combined with incredible balance and elusiveness made him one of the most dangerous players ever to carry a football. Defenders were often left grasping at air as Sanders weaved through them, turning potential losses into game-breaking plays. Despite playing just 10 seasons in the NFL (1989–1998), he rushed for 15,269 yards, which places him 4th on the all-time rushing list. His 99 rushing touchdowns, combined with his career average of 5.0 yards per carry, highlight his efficiency and explosiveness.

---

2. Emmitt Smith

• Teams/Years Played: Dallas Cowboys (1990–2002), Arizona Cardinals (2003–2004)
• Championships & awards:
  • 3-time Super Bowl Champion (1993-1994, 1996)
  • Super Bowl MVP (1994)
  • NFL Most Valuable Player (1993)
  • NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1990)
  • 4-time First-team All-Pro (1992–1995)
  • Second-team All-Pro (1991)
  • 8-time Pro Bowl (1990–1995, 1998, 1999)
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame (2010)
• Iconic performance: Smith rushed for 237 yards and a score on 30 carries in a 23-10 trouncing of the rival Philadelphia Eagles in November of 1993.

Emmitt Smith would be the top choice for many, and we wouldn’t argue against it. Smith is the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 18,355 rushing yards, a record he set in 2002 and still holds. He also holds the record for the most career rushing touchdowns (164), underscoring his ability to find the end zone in critical moments. Smith was a central figure in the Cowboys’ dynasty of the 1990s, leading them to three Super Bowl titles while also winning the Super Bowl MVP in 1994. He’d be No. 1 if he hadn’t played behind “The Great Wall of Dallas,” one of the best offensive lines in NFL history.

---

1. Walter Payton

• Teams/Years Played: Chicago Bears (1975-1987)
• Championships & awards:
  • Super Bowl Champion (1985)
  • NFL Most Valuable Player (1977)
  • NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1977)
  • NFL Man of the Year (1977)
  • 5-time first-team All-Pro (1976, 1977, 1980, 1984, 1985)
  • 3-time second-team All-Pro (1978, 1979, 1986)
  • 9-time Pro Bowl selection (1976–1980, 1983–1986)
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame (1993)

• Iconic performance: November 20, 1977, at Soldier Field, Payton went off for 275 rushing yards against the rival Vikings.

We gave “Sweetness” the No. 1 spot due to his unparalleled toughness coupled with his grace on the field. Walter Payton retired as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, with 16,726 rushing yards. He held that record for 18 years, from 1984 until Emmitt Smith broke it in 2002. Payton’s ability to dominate for such an extended period, long before the modern era of advanced sports medicine and recovery, highlights just how special he was. Additionally, he ran behind shoddy offensive lines for much of his career, which also speaks to his greatness. But arguably his most impressive feat? Payton played in the NFL for 13 seasons, and he missed only one game, which is a testament to his toughness and ability to endure the physical toll of being a running back.

The list isn’t over yet! See our pick for Number 11 HERE. Sound off to let us know who we missed!

4 Comments