National Football League

The Daily Ranker: Top 10 seasons by an NFL running back

Updated Dec. 11, 2024 12:47 p.m. ET

We sought to rank the 10 best seasons ever produced by an NFL running back.

This is no easy task considering all the variables — including vastly different eras — in play.

We looked at total yards, yards per carry, touchdowns, individual honors and other factors as well in coming up with our list.

Check out the list!

1. 1997 Barry Sanders (Lions) — 2,053 yards on 335 rushes (6.13 yards per carry), 11 rushing TDs

Achievements in 1997: NFL MVP, NFL AP OPOY, Pro Bowl, First Team All-Pro, NFL rushing title

Why this season is the greatest

Barry Sanders had a lot of amazing seasons, but this one stands out among any other single season in NFL history. Sanders rushed for just 53 yards in his first two games before closing with exactly 2,000 yards in his final 14 contests.

Sanders collected co-MVP honors (shared with Brett Favre) and also won the NFL rushing title and AP Offensive Player of the Year. To this day, he is the only Lion to win league MVP honors.

Stat to know

Sanders tallied 14 games with 100 or more rushing yards, the most in a single season in NFL history.

2. 1963 Jim Brown (Browns) — 1,863 yards on 291 rushes (6.4 yards per carry), 12 rushing TDs

Achievements in 1963: NFL Player of Year, 2nd in MVP, Pro Bowl, First Team All-Pro, Rushing Title, led NFL in rush attempts, led NFL in rushing TDs

Why this season is great

The greatest running back of all-time put together one of the greatest seasons of all-time due to his eye-popping 6.4 yards per carry average. That, to this day, is the highest among all rushers in a single season with a minimum of 200 attempts. This was also Brown's fifth rushing title in seven seasons.

Stat to know

Brown is the ONLY rusher in NFL history to average 6 yards per carry or more in a single season (min 200 attempts) AND compile 15 total touchdowns in the same season.

Jim Brown is the only rusher in NFL history to average 6 yards per carry or more in a single season (min 200 attempts) AND compile 15 total touchdowns in the same season. (Photo by Tony Tomsic /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

3. 2012 Adrian Peterson (Vikings) — 2,097 yards on 348 rushes (6.03 yards per carry), 12 rushing TDs

Achievements in 2012: NFL MVP, NFL Player of the Year, NFL AP OPOY, Pro Bowl, First Team All-Pro, rushing title, led NFL in rushing yards per game

Why this season is great

Peterson had some remarkable runs, but this season was his best posting a single-season career-best of 2,097 rushing yards, just 9 yards behind Eric Dickerson for the most in a single campaign. AP posted a ridiculous average of 141 rush yards per game over his last 10 regular season games to push him close to the all-time mark. Moreover, he saved his best for last, with 199 rush yards in the regular season finale against the Packers, with the Lions needing a win to make the playoffs.

Stat to know

Since 1991, Adrian Peteron is the ONLY player in the NFL to have 25 or more rushes of 20-plus yards in a single season, posting 27 such runs in 2012. The next closest was 2009 Chris Johnson, who had five fewer rushes (22).

4. 1984 Eric Dickerson (Rams) — 2,105 yards on 379 rushes (5.55 yards per carry), 14 rushing TDs

Achievements in 1984: 2nd in NFL MVP, Pro Bowl, First Team All-Pro, rushing title, led NFL in rushing TDs, led NFL in rushing yards per game

Why this season is great

The reasoning is simple here — Dickerson has the most rushing yards in a single season in NFL history. No other player has reached 2,100 rushing yards. Furthermore, he also had 12 games with 100 or more rushing yards, tied for the second-most games in a single-season in NFL history.

Stat to know

In the history of the Rams franchise, there have only been two seasons where a running back has put up 10 or more games with 100 rush yards — Eric Dickerson has both (12 in 1984 and 11 in 1986).

Eric Dickerson's 2,105 rushing yards in 1984 remain a single-season record. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)

5. 1999 Marshall Faulk (Rams) — 1,381 yards on 253 rushes (5.46 yards per carry), 7 rushing TDs; 87 catches, 1,048 rec yards, 5 rec TDs

Achievements in 1999: 2nd in NFL MVP, NFL AP OPOY, Pro Bowl, First Team All-Pro, Led NFL in points scored

Why this season is great

Faulk was the first true runner to be able to run and catch. The offense was designed for him to show off in both areas, leading him to become the first running back in NFL history to post 1,000 rush yards, 1,000 receiving yards and maintain an average above 5 yards per carry. He propelled the Rams offense, helping them accumulate 83 more points than any other team for the season (526 points).

Stat to know

To this day, Marshall Faulk is the only RB to have 1,000 receiving yards in a season and maintain a yards-per-carry average of 5 or higher.

6. 1998 Terrell Davis (Broncos) — 2,008 yards on 392 rushes (5.12 yards per carry), 21 rushing TDs

Achievements in 1998: NFL MVP, NFL AP OPOY, Pro Bowl, First Team All-Pro, rushing title, led NFL in rushing TDs, led NFL in rushing yards per game

Why this season is great

Easy. Scoring machine. Davis posted 21 rushing touchdowns and 23 total touchdowns in 1998. For context, no other running back had ever reach 15 rushing touchdowns in a season they hit 2,000 yards. Moreover, if you include playoff games, Davis had 2,476 rushing yards, the most by any player when including playoffs in a single season.

Stat to know

If Terrell Davis didn't play the last five games of the 1998 regular season, he would still own the Broncos single-season record for rushing touchdowns.

Including playoff games, Terrell Davis rushed for 2,476 yards in 1998, still a record. (Photo by Allen Kee/Getty Images)

7. 1973 O.J. Simpson (Bills) — 2,003 yards on 332 rushes (6.03 yards per carry), 12 rushing TDs

Achievements in 1973: NFL MVP, NFL AP OPOY, Pro Bowl, First Team All-Pro, rushing title, led NFL in rushing attempts, led NFL in rushing TDs, led NFL in rushing yards per game, led NFL in all-purpose yards

Why this season is great

Simpson was a dynamic runner and this season was one of just three in NFL history where a player ran for 2,000 yards AND maintained a yards-per-carry average of 6 or higher. He also was the first to do that, with Barry Sanders (1997) and Adrian Peterson (2012) not coming until later. Moreover, he was the first RB to have three or more games in a single season with 200-plus rushing yards.

Stat to know

O.J. always started fast, but he was on another level early in the season. His 1,025 rush yards through the first seven weeks of the 1973 season are the MOST through seven weeks in any season in NFL history. Only three players have had 1,000 rush yards through the first seven weeks in a single season and O.J. has two of them (1,011 Jim Brown 1958, 1,025 Simpson 1973, 1,005 Simpson 1975).

8. 2006 LaDainian Tomlinson (Chargers) — 1,815 yards on 348 rushes (5.22 yards per carry) 28 rush TDs, 508 rec yards, 3 rec TDs

Achievements in 2006: NFL MVP, NFL AP OPOY, Pro Bowl, First Team All-Pro, rushing title, led NFL in rushing TDs, led NFL in rushing yards per game, led NFL in points scored

Why this season is great

L.T. did it all in 2006 and his 28 rushing touchdowns are still the most in a single campaign in NFL history. Moreover, no other Charger has ever had even 20 rushing touchdowns in a season. Tomlinson is also the only player in NFL history to have 1,800 rushing yards, 25 rushing TDs and 500 receiving yards all in the same season.

Stat to know

Tomlinson had five games scoring three or more rushing touchdowns in 2006, the most such games in a single season in NFL history.

L.T.'s 28 rushing touchdowns in 2006 is still an NFL record. (Photo by Peter Brouillet/NFLPhotoLibrary)

9. 2009 Chris Johnson (Titans) — 2,006 yards on 358 rushes (5.60 yards per carry), 14 rush TDs, 503 rec yards, 2 rec TDs

Achievements in 2009: NFL AP OPOY, Pro Bowl, First Team All-Pro, rushing title, led NFL in rush attempts, led NFL in rushing yards per game

Why this season is great

Johnson was just the sixth back to top 2,000 rush yards when it happened, doing so on an enormous workload. When including receptions, he topped 400 total touches (408 to be exact) despite weighing less than 200 pounds. Johnson also posted five rushes of 50-plus yards, almost double the next single-season highest in NFL history.

Stat to know

Chris Johnson ended 2009 with 11 straight games of 100 or more rushing yards, tied for the most with Barry Sanders (11 in 1997)

10. 2005 Shaun Alexander (Seahawks) — 1,880 yards on 370 rushes (5.08 yards per carry), 27 rush TDs

Achievements in 2005: NFL MVP, NFL AP OPOY, Pro Bowl, First Team All-Pro, rushing title, led NFL in rushing attempts, led NFL in rushing TDs, led NFL in rushing yards per game, led NFL in TDs

Why this season is great

Scoring! Alexander delivered 27 rushing touchdowns, at the time tying Chiefs RB Priest Holmes' 2003 record for most in a season. He also delivered 14 rushes of 20-plus yards in 2005, the most among any player with 25 rushing touchdowns in a single season.

Stat to know

Shaun Alexanders's 27 rushing touchdowns are 11 more than any other Seahawks player has totaled in a single-season in franchise history.