# List of NFL annual rushing yards leaders

In American football, rushing and passing are the two main methods of advancing the ball down the field. A rush, also known as a running play, generally occurs when the quarterback hands or tosses the ball backwards to the running back, but other players, such as the quarterback, can run with the ball. In the National Football League (NFL), the player who has recorded the most rushing yards for a season is considered the winner of the rushing title for that season. In addition to the NFL rushing champion, league record books recognize the rushing champions of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the National Football League in 1970.
The NFL did not begin keeping official records until the 1932 season. Since the adoption of the 14-game season in 1961, all but one rushing champion have recorded over 1,000 yards rushing. Nine rushing champions have recorded over 2,000 rushing yards, a feat first accomplished by O. J. Simpson in 1973 and most recently achieved by Saquon Barkley in the 2024 season.
The player with the most rushing titles is Jim Brown, who was the rushing champion eight times over his career. Eric Dickerson, Emmitt Smith, O. J. Simpson, Steve Van Buren, and Barry Sanders are tied for the second-most rushing titles, each having won four times. Jim Brown also holds the record for the most consecutive rushing titles with five, having led the league in rushing each year from 1957 to 1961. Steve Van Buren, Emmitt Smith, and Earl Campbell each recorded three consecutive rushing titles. The Cleveland Browns have recorded the most rushing titles with eleven; the Dallas Cowboys rank second, with seven rushing titles. The most recent rushing champion is Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers, who led the league with 1,459 rushing yards during the 2023 season. Derrick Henry is the most recent player to win back-to-back titles.
In 2022, the NFL announced, "To permanently honor the impact of Jim Brown in the NFL, the player with the most rushing yards each season will be presented with the "Jim Brown Award". Josh Jacobs was the inaugural recipient.

## List of NFL rushing title winners

Key :
| ^ | Pro Football Hall of Fame member |
| * | Player is active |
| † | Player won the AP Most Valuable Player award in the same year |
| ‡ | Player won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award in the same year |
National Football League (NFL) rushing title winners by season :
| Season | Winner | Team | Yards | Games |
| 1932 | Cliff Battles$^^$ | Boston Braves | 576 | 10 |
| 1933 | Jim Musick | Boston Redskins | 809 | 12 |
| 1934 | Beattie Feathers | Chicago Bears | 1,004 | 13 |
| 1935 | Doug Russell | Chicago Cardinals | 499 | 12 |
| 1936 | Tuffy Leemans | New York Giants | 830 | 12 |
| 1937 | Cliff Battles$^^$ (2) | Washington Redskins | 874 | 11 |
| 1938 | Byron White | Pittsburgh Pirates | 567 | 11 |
| 1939 | Bill Osmanski | Chicago Bears | 699 | 11 |
| 1940 | Byron White (2) | Detroit Lions | 514 | 11 |
| 1941 | Pug Manders | Brooklyn Dodgers | 486 | 11 |
| 1942 | Bill Dudley$^^$ | Pittsburgh Steelers | 696 | 11 |
| 1943 | Bill Paschal | New York Giants | 572 | 10 |
| 1944 | Bill Paschal (2) | New York Giants | 737 | 10 |
| 1945 | Steve Van Buren$^^$ | Philadelphia Eagles | 832 | 10 |
| 1946 | Bill Dudley$^^$ (2) | Pittsburgh Steelers | 604 | 11 |
| 1947 | Steve Van Buren$^^$ (2) | Philadelphia Eagles | 1,008 | 12 |
| 1948 | Steve Van Buren$^^$ (3) | Philadelphia Eagles | 945 | 12 |
| 1949 | Steve Van Buren$^^$ (4) | Philadelphia Eagles | 1,146 | 12 |
| 1950 | Marion Motley$^^$ | Cleveland Browns | 810 | 12 |
| 1951 | Eddie Price | New York Giants | 971 | 12 |
| 1952 | Dan Towler | Los Angeles Rams | 894 | 12 |
| 1953 | Joe Perry$^^$ | San Francisco 49ers | 1,018 | 12 |
| 1954 | Joe Perry$^^$ (2) | San Francisco 49ers | 1,049 | 12 |
| 1955 | Alan Ameche | Baltimore Colts | 961 | 12 |
| 1956 | Rick Casares | Chicago Bears | 1,126 | 12 |
| 1957 | Jim Brown$^{^†}$ | Cleveland Browns | 942 | 12 |
| 1958 | Jim Brown$^{^†}$ (2) | Cleveland Browns | 1,527 | 12 |
| 1959 | Jim Brown$^^$ (3) | Cleveland Browns | 1,329 | 12 |
| 1960 | Jim Brown$^^$ (4) | Cleveland Browns | 1,257 | 12 |
| 1961 | Jim Brown$^^$ (5) | Cleveland Browns | 1,408 | 14 |
| 1962 | Jim Taylor$^^$ | Green Bay Packers | 1,474 | 14 |
| 1963 | Jim Brown$^^$ (6) | Cleveland Browns | 1,863 | 14 |
| 1964 | Jim Brown$^^$ (7) | Cleveland Browns | 1,446 | 14 |
| 1965 | Jim Brown$^{^†}$(8) | Cleveland Browns | 1,544 | 14 |
| 1966 | Gale Sayers$^^$ | Chicago Bears | 1,231 | 14 |
| 1967 | Leroy Kelly$^^$ | Cleveland Browns | 1,205 | 14 |
| 1968 | Leroy Kelly$^^$ (2) | Cleveland Browns | 1,239 | 14 |
| 1969 | Gale Sayers$^^$ (2) | Chicago Bears | 1,032 | 14 |
| 1970 | Larry Brown | Washington Redskins | 1,125 | 14 |
| 1971 | Floyd Little$^^$ | Denver Broncos | 1,133 | 14 |
| 1972 | O. J. Simpson$^^$ | Buffalo Bills | 1,251 | 14 |
| 1973 | O. J. Simpson$^{^†‡}$ (2) | Buffalo Bills | 2,003 | 14 |
| 1974 | Otis Armstrong | Denver Broncos | 1,407 | 14 |
| 1975 | O. J. Simpson$^^$ (3) | Buffalo Bills | 1,817 | 14 |
| 1976 | O. J. Simpson$^^$ (4) | Buffalo Bills | 1,503 | 14 |
| 1977 | Walter Payton$^{^†‡}$ | Chicago Bears | 1,852 | 14 |
| 1978 | Earl Campbell$^{^‡}$ | Houston Oilers | 1,450 | 15 |
| 1979 | Earl Campbell$^{^†‡}$ (2) | Houston Oilers | 1,697 | 16 |
| 1980 | Earl Campbell$^{^‡}$ (3) | Houston Oilers | 1,934 | 15 |
| 1981 | George Rogers | New Orleans Saints | 1,674 | 16 |
| 1982 | Freeman McNeil | New York Jets | 786 | 9 |
| 1983 | Eric Dickerson$^^$ | Los Angeles Rams | 1,808 | 16 |
| 1984 | Eric Dickerson$^^$ (2) | Los Angeles Rams | 2,105 | 16 |
| 1985 | Marcus Allen$^{^†‡}$ | Los Angeles Raiders | 1,759 | 16 |
| 1986 | Eric Dickerson$^^$ (3) | Los Angeles Rams | 1,821 | 16 |
| 1987 | Charles White | Los Angeles Rams | 1,374 | 15 |
| 1988 | Eric Dickerson$^^$ (4) | Indianapolis Colts | 1,659 | 16 |
| 1989 | Christian Okoye | Kansas City Chiefs | 1,480 | 16 |
| 1990 | Barry Sanders$^^$ | Detroit Lions | 1,304 | 16 |
| 1991 | Emmitt Smith$^^$ | Dallas Cowboys | 1,563 | 16 |
| 1992 | Emmitt Smith$^^$ (2) | Dallas Cowboys | 1,713 | 16 |
| 1993 | Emmitt Smith$^{^†}$ (3) | Dallas Cowboys | 1,486 | 14 |
| 1994 | Barry Sanders$^{^‡}$ (2) | Detroit Lions | 1,883 | 16 |
| 1995 | Emmitt Smith$^^$ (4) | Dallas Cowboys | 1,773 | 16 |
| 1996 | Barry Sanders$^^$ (3) | Detroit Lions | 1,553 | 16 |
| 1997 | Barry Sanders$^{^†‡}$ (4) | Detroit Lions | 2,053 | 16 |
| 1998 | Terrell Davis$^{^†‡}$ | Denver Broncos | 2,008 | 16 |
| 1999 | Edgerrin James$^^$ | Indianapolis Colts | 1,553 | 16 |
| 2000 | Edgerrin James$^^$ (2) | Indianapolis Colts | 1,709 | 16 |
| 2001 | Priest Holmes | Kansas City Chiefs | 1,555 | 16 |
| 2002 | Ricky Williams | Miami Dolphins | 1,853 | 16 |
| 2003 | Jamal Lewis$^‡$ | Baltimore Ravens | 2,066 | 16 |
| 2004 | Curtis Martin$^^$ | New York Jets | 1,697 | 16 |
| 2005 | Shaun Alexander$^{†‡}$ | Seattle Seahawks | 1,880 | 16 |
| 2006 | LaDainian Tomlinson$^{^†‡}$ | San Diego Chargers | 1,815 | 16 |
| 2007 | LaDainian Tomlinson$^^$ (2) | San Diego Chargers | 1,474 | 16 |
| 2008 | Adrian Peterson | Minnesota Vikings | 1,760 | 16 |
| 2009 | Chris Johnson$^‡$ | Tennessee Titans | 2,006 | 16 |
| 2010 | Arian Foster | Houston Texans | 1,616 | 16 |
| 2011 | Maurice Jones-Drew | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1,606 | 16 |
| 2012 | Adrian Peterson$^{†‡}$ (2) | Minnesota Vikings | 2,097 | 16 |
| 2013 | LeSean McCoy | Philadelphia Eagles | 1,607 | 16 |
| 2014 | DeMarco Murray$^‡$ | Dallas Cowboys | 1,845 | 16 |
| 2015 | Adrian Peterson (3) | Minnesota Vikings | 1,485 | 16 |
| 2016 | Ezekiel Elliott$^*$ | Dallas Cowboys | 1,631 | 15 |
| 2017 | Kareem Hunt$^*$ | Kansas City Chiefs | 1,327 | 16 |
| 2018 | Ezekiel Elliott$^*$ (2) | Dallas Cowboys | 1,434 | 15 |
| 2019 | Derrick Henry$^*$ | Tennessee Titans | 1,540 | 15 |
| 2020 | Derrick Henry$^*$ $^‡$ (2) | Tennessee Titans | 2,027 | 16 |
| 2021 | Jonathan Taylor$^*$ | Indianapolis Colts | 1,811 | 17 |
| 2022 | Josh Jacobs$^*$ | Las Vegas Raiders | 1,653 | 17 |
| 2023 | Christian McCaffrey$^*$ $^‡$ | San Francisco 49ers | 1,459 | 16 |
| 2024 | Saquon Barkley$^*$ $^‡$ | Philadelphia Eagles | 2,005 | 16 |

## List of AFL rushing title winners

American Football League (AFL) rushing title winners by season :
| Season | Winner | Team | Yards | Games |
| 1960 | Abner Haynes | Dallas Texans | 875 | 14 |
| 1961 | Billy Cannon | Houston Oilers | 948 | 14 |
| 1962 | Cookie Gilchrist | Buffalo Bills | 1,096 | 14 |
| 1963 | Clem Daniels | Oakland Raiders | 1,099 | 14 |
| 1964 | Cookie Gilchrist (2) | Buffalo Bills | 981 | 14 |
| 1965 | Paul Lowe | San Diego Chargers | 1,121 | 14 |
| 1966 | Jim Nance | Boston Patriots | 1,458 | 14 |
| 1967 | Jim Nance (2) | Boston Patriots | 1,216 | 14 |
| 1968 | Paul Robinson | Cincinnati Bengals | 1,023 | 14 |
| 1969 | Dickie Post | San Diego Chargers | 873 | 14 |

## Most rushing titles

| Count | Player | Seasons | Team(s) |
| 8 | Jim Brown | 1957–1961, 1963–1965 | Cleveland Browns |
| 4 | Eric Dickerson | 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988 | Los Angeles Rams / Indianapolis Colts |
| 4 | Barry Sanders | 1990, 1994, 1996, 1997 | Detroit Lions |
| 4 | O. J. Simpson | 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976 | Buffalo Bills |
| 4 | Emmitt Smith | 1991–1993, 1995 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 4 | Steve Van Buren | 1945, 1947–1949 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 3 | Earl Campbell | 1978–1980 | Houston Oilers |
| 3 | Adrian Peterson | 2008, 2012, 2015 | Minnesota Vikings |