Rush Yards Leaders: Emmitt Smith Still Paces the Field

The old saying goes, “Records were made to be broken.” But the NFL rush yards leaders have nothing to worry about in the foreseeable future. The NFL has become a pass-oriented league. The NFL leaders in rushing attempts seldom see the ball as often as players from 20 or 30 years ago.

NFL defensemen have also gotten bigger and faster. Running backs take more of a pounding and have shorter careers. That makes climbing up the NFL records extremely tough for current players.

Two players in the top five all-time rushing leaders did play in the 2020s – Frank Gore and Adrian Peterson. But both were in the twilight of their careers and shadows of their former selves. Gore gained 653 of his 16,000 rushing yards in 2020. Peterson ran for 702 yards in 2020 and 2021 combined. He finished with 14,918 yards.

The career rush yards leaders have some familiar names. But you can’t say the all-time rushing leaders were the best. Players such as Earl Campbell saw his career cut short due to injuries. Barry Sanders and Jim Brown weren’t happy with their team’s front office and stepped away. In their prime, those three were about as good as anybody.

NFL Rush Yards Leaders

1. Emmitt Smith, 18,355 yards

Smith is seldom mentioned as the best rusher in NFL history despite holding the all-time rushing yards NFL record. His 226 games are second-most among running backs in the top 50 in all-time rushing yards. He was a little better than he gets credit for.

2. Walter Payton, 16,726 yards

“Sweetness” was a fantastic runner and is in the mix for the best of all time. Nobody before him made the open-field moves that he could make. He was one of the most exciting players on the rush yards leaders list.

3. Frank Gore, 16,000 yards

Frank Gore was a solid running back who was consistent for the 49ers. He owes his standing in the all-time rushing leaders to longevity more than anything. But there’s nothing wrong with that.

4. Barry Sanders, 15,269 yards

Sanders was worth the price of admission and is one of the all-time greats. He was one of the few running backs who could look great just getting back to the line of scrimmage on some plays.

5. Adrian Peterson, 14,918 yards

Peterson had several banner seasons for the Vikings, but he isn’t a top-five back of all time. His lengthy career should get him into the Hall of Fame.

6. Curtis Martin, 14,101 yards

Martin is another back on the list, which was very good, but it could be a stretch to label him as a great running back. He delivered consistently, and that’s what matters.

7. LaDainian Tomlinson, 13,684 yards

Tomlinson played a relatively short career and was a workhorse for the Chargers. He was one of the best of his time.

8. Jerome Bettis, 13,662 yards

“The Bus” put up better numbers than most people think. But he’s one of those running backs who doesn’t compare to his all-time placing. Bettis was an exceptional running back, but only some would have him in their top 10.

9. Eric Dickerson, 13,259 yards

It’s easy to forget how good Dickerson was during his prime. His 146 career games are the fewest of anybody on this list.

10. Tony Dorsett, 12,739 yards

Dorsett played on a loaded Dallas team most of his career and did what was needed. He managed to stay healthy for the most part and was a big part of the Cowboys‘ success while he played.

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