# List of NFL career rushing yards leaders

This is a list of National Football League running backs by total career rushing yards, and includes the 32 running backs who have rushed for at least 10,000 yards, for which sixteen of them have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Emmitt Smith leads with 18,355 yards and is also the postseason leader with 1,586. He has held the all-time rushing yards record since 2002 and is the only player with over 17,000 regular season rushing yards.

## Players with at least 10,000 rushing yards

Key :
| ^ | Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
| * | Denotes player who is still active |
Through Week 18 of 2024 season.
| Rank | Player | Team(s) by season | Carries | Yards | Average |
| 1 | Emmitt Smith$^^$ | Dallas Cowboys (1990–2002) Arizona Cardinals (2003–2004) | 4,409 | 18,355 | 4.2 |
| 2 | Walter Payton$^^$ | Chicago Bears (1975–1987) | 3,838 | 16,726 | 4.4 |
| 3 | Frank Gore | San Francisco 49ers (2005–2014) Indianapolis Colts (2015–2017) Miami Dolphins (2018) Buffalo Bills (2019) New York Jets (2020) | 3,735 | 16,000 | 4.3 |
| 4 | Barry Sanders$^^$ | Detroit Lions (1989–1998) | 3,063 | 15,269 | 5.0 |
| 5 | Adrian Peterson | Minnesota Vikings (2007–2016) New Orleans Saints (2017) Arizona Cardinals (2017) Washington Redskins (2018–2019) Detroit Lions (2020) Tennessee Titans (2021) Seattle Seahawks (2021) | 3,230 | 14,918 | 4.6 |
| 6 | Curtis Martin$^^$ | New England Patriots (1995–1997) New York Jets (1998–2005) | 3,518 | 14,101 | 4.0 |
| 7 | LaDainian Tomlinson$^^$ | San Diego Chargers (2001–2009) New York Jets (2010–2011) | 3,174 | 13,684 | 4.3 |
| 8 | Jerome Bettis$^^$ | Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams (1993–1995) Pittsburgh Steelers (1996–2005) | 3,479 | 13,662 | 3.9 |
| 9 | Eric Dickerson$^^$ | Los Angeles Rams (1983–1987) Indianapolis Colts (1987–1991) Los Angeles Raiders (1992) Atlanta Falcons (1993) | 2,996 | 13,259 | 4.4 |
| 10 | Tony Dorsett$^^$ | Dallas Cowboys (1977–1987) Denver Broncos (1988) | 2,936 | 12,739 | 4.3 |
| 11 | Jim Brown$^^$ | Cleveland Browns (1957–1965) | 2,359 | 12,312 | 5.2 |
| 12 | Marshall Faulk$^^$ | Indianapolis Colts (1994–1998) St. Louis Rams (1999–2005) | 2,836 | 12,279 | 4.3 |
| 13 | Edgerrin James$^^$ | Indianapolis Colts (1999–2005) Arizona Cardinals (2006–2008) Seattle Seahawks (2009) | 3,028 | 12,246 | 4.0 |
| 14 | Marcus Allen$^^$ | Los Angeles Raiders (1982–1992) Kansas City Chiefs (1993–1997) | 3,022 | 12,243 | 4.1 |
| 15 | Franco Harris$^^$ | Pittsburgh Steelers (1972–1983) Seattle Seahawks (1984) | 2,949 | 12,120 | 4.1 |
| 16 | Thurman Thomas$^^$ | Buffalo Bills (1988–1999) Miami Dolphins (2000) | 2,877 | 12,074 | 4.2 |
| 17 | Fred Taylor | Jacksonville Jaguars (1998–2008) New England Patriots (2009–2010) | 2,534 | 11,695 | 4.6 |
| 18 | Steven Jackson | St. Louis Rams (2004–2012) Atlanta Falcons (2013–2014) New England Patriots (2015) | 2,764 | 11,438 | 4.1 |
| 19 | Derrick Henry$^*$ | Tennessee Titans (2016–2023) Baltimore Ravens (2024–present) | 2,355 | 11,423 | 4.9 |
| 20 | John Riggins$^^$ | New York Jets (1971–1975) Washington Redskins (1976–1985) | 2,916 | 11,352 | 3.9 |
| 21 | Corey Dillon | Cincinnati Bengals (1997–2003) New England Patriots (2004–2006) | 2,618 | 11,241 | 4.3 |
| 22 | O. J. Simpson$^^$ | Buffalo Bills (1969–1977) San Francisco 49ers (1978–1979) | 2,404 | 11,236 | 4.7 |
| 23 | LeSean McCoy | Philadelphia Eagles (2009–2014) Buffalo Bills (2015–2018) Kansas City Chiefs (2019) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020) | 2,457 | 11,102 | 4.5 |
| 24 | Warrick Dunn | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1997–2001, 2008) Atlanta Falcons (2002–2007) | 2,284 | 10,967 | 4.1 |
| 25 | Ricky Watters | San Francisco 49ers (1992–1994) Philadelphia Eagles (1995–1997) Seattle Seahawks (1998–2001) | 2,622 | 10,643 | 4.1 |
| 26 | Jamal Lewis | Baltimore Ravens (2000–2006) Cleveland Browns (2007–2009) | 2,542 | 10,607 | 4.2 |
| 27 | Thomas Jones | Arizona Cardinals (2000–2002) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2003) Chicago Bears (2004–2006) New York Jets (2007–2009) Kansas City Chiefs (2010–2011) | 2,678 | 10,591 | 4.0 |
| 28 | Tiki Barber | New York Giants (1997–2006) | 2,217 | 10,449 | 4.7 |
| 29 | Eddie George | Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans (1996–2003) Dallas Cowboys (2004) | 2,865 | 10,441 | 3.6 |
| 30 | Marshawn Lynch | Buffalo Bills (2007–2010) Seattle Seahawks (2010–2015, 2019) Oakland Raiders (2017–2018) | 2,453 | 10,413 | 4.2 |
| 31 | Ottis Anderson | St. Louis Cardinals (1979–1986) New York Giants (1986–1992) | 2,562 | 10,273 | 4.0 |
| 32 | Ricky Williams | New Orleans Saints (1999–2001) Miami Dolphins (2002–2003, 2005–2010) Baltimore Ravens (2011) | 2,431 | 10,009 | 4.1 |

## Players with at least 1,000 postseason rushing yards

Through end of 2023 playoffs
| Rank | Player | Team(s) by season | Carries | Yards | Average |
| 1 | Emmitt Smith$^^$ | Dallas Cowboys (1990–2002) Arizona Cardinals (2003–2004) | 349 | 1,586 | 4.5 |
| 2 | Franco Harris$^^$ | Pittsburgh Steelers (1972–1983) Seattle Seahawks (1984) | 400 | 1,556 | 3.9 |
| 3 | Thurman Thomas$^^$ | Buffalo Bills (1988–1999) Miami Dolphins (2000) | 339 | 1,442 | 4.3 |
| 4 | Tony Dorsett$^^$ | Dallas Cowboys (1977–1987) Denver Broncos (1988) | 302 | 1,383 | 4.6 |
| 5 | Marcus Allen$^^$ | Los Angeles Raiders (1982–1992) Kansas City Chiefs (1993–1997) | 267 | 1,347 | 5.0 |
| 6 | Terrell Davis$^^$ | Denver Broncos (1995–2001) | 204 | 1,140 | 5.6 |

## Historical rushing yards leaders

Seven players have been recognized as having held the career rushing yards record in the NFL. Since reliable yardage statistics were not recorded prior to 1932, the first NFL player recognized as the career leader in rushing yards was Cliff Battles, who played from 1932 to 1937 for the Boston Braves / Boston Redskins / Washington Redskins. He led the NFL with 576 yards in 1932 and held on to the record throughout his career. Emmitt Smith has held the record since surpassing Walter Payton's long-standing total in 2002.
| Reign | Player | Team(s) by season | Carries | Yards | Average |
| 1932–1940 (9 years) | Cliff Battles$^^$ | Washington Redskins (1932–1937) | 839 | 3,511 | 4.2 |
| 1941–1949 (9 years) | Clarke Hinkle$^^$ | Green Bay Packers (1932–1941) | 1,171 | 3,860 | 3.3 |
| 1949–1957 (9 years) | Steve Van Buren$^^$ | Philadelphia Eagles (1944–1951) | 1,320 | 5,860 | 4.4 |
| 1958–1962 (5 years) | Joe Perry$^^$ | San Francisco 49ers (1948–1960, 1963) Baltimore Colts (1961–1962) | 1,737 | 8,378 | 4.8 |
| 1963–1983 (21 years) | Jim Brown$^^$ | Cleveland Browns (1957–1965) | 2,359 | 12,312 | 5.2 |
| 1984–2001 (18 years) | Walter Payton$^^$ | Chicago Bears (1975–1987) | 3,838 | 16,726 | 4.4 |
| Since 2002 (23 years) | Emmitt Smith$^^$ | Dallas Cowboys (1990–2002) Arizona Cardinals (2003–2004) | 4,409 | 18,355 | 4.2 |