All Time NFL Rushing Leaders

nfl all time rushing leaders

If there is any single all-time rushing leader in NFL history, it’s Emmitt Smith. He tallied 18,355 career yards and has held the record since 2002 when he played for the Dallas Cowboys.

He also holds the all-time career rushing touchdowns record with 164. During his 15-year NFL career, he rushed for an average of 1,223.7 yards per season and never missed a game.

During the 1990s, it was common for elite running backs to rush for 300-plus carries in a single season. That number has dropped significantly over the past decade, however. The average NFL running back only carries the ball 1.9 times per year nowadays.

While it is difficult to imagine anyone breaking the record, that doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future. The current generation of top running backs is still a good bet to reach the mark.

The most likely candidates are Ezekiel Elliott and Derrick Henry, both of whom have racked up a combined 6,112 rushing yards in 67 games. At their current averages, Elliott would break Smith’s record some point in 2028 and Henry would break it sometime in the 2030s.

It’s a lot tougher for young running backs to make the jump from college to the NFL, and that is what makes it difficult for them to get a chance to challenge the record. It takes a player at least 10 seasons to challenge Smith’s record and there are a lot of factors that would need to line up for that to happen.

In addition, modern running backs are aging rapidly and it’s hard to imagine a young star who hasn’t rushed for more than 4,000 yards to do so before they hit their mid-30’s. That’s even if they do have another decade left in them.

A player like Frank Gore could possibly pass Smith’s record if he is signed by a team this season, but he will be 36 years old when that happens and hasn’t rushed for 16,000 yards yet. Adrian Peterson is a potential candidate to surpass Smith’s record if he can find a team that will let him run the football this season, but he’s not a sure thing either.

The other players in this generation who have a good shot at challenging the record are Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott, both of whom have already rushed for more than 4,000 yards. Both have injuries that make them unlikely to be around long enough to reach Smith’s record, and it’s a stretch to believe that they could average 1,200 yards a year for the next 12 seasons in order to match the NFL all time rushing leader.

While these are just a few of the top rushing leaders in NFL history, there is no doubt that it’s an exciting position that can lead to huge numbers. If you’re a fan of the sport, it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends. That way, you can make an informed decision when it comes to your team’s roster.