Everyone has a list. You go to a bar in Chicago, and they’ll swear on Walter Payton. Mention the 90s in Dallas, and it’s all about Emmitt. But honestly, trying to name the all time best running backs is a recipe for a headache because the game has changed so much that we’re basically comparing apples to spaceships.
Think about it.
Jim Brown played in an era where defenders were basically part-time insurance salesmen who smoked at halftime. Today, guys like Derrick Henry are facing 250-pound linebackers who run like Olympic sprinters. It’s a different world.
The Jim Brown Problem
Let’s get the elephant out of the room. Jim Brown is usually the default #1 for historians. Why? Because he was a freak of nature. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry over his entire career. He never missed a game. He led the league in rushing in eight of his nine seasons.
That’s just stupid. It shouldn't be possible.
But here’s the thing people forget: he was 6’2” and 232 pounds when the average defensive lineman was barely bigger than him. He was a cheat code. When he retired at 29 to go make movies, he was still the best player in the league. Most guys crawl into retirement; he just walked away because he was bored of winning.
Barry vs. Emmitt: The Eternal Debate
If you want to start a fight among NFL fans, just mention these two. It’s the ultimate "peak vs. longevity" argument.
Barry Sanders was a human highlight reel. He played 10 seasons, went to 10 Pro Bowls, and hit at least 1,100 yards every single year. He’s the only guy who could lose 15 yards on a play and still make the defense look like they were wearing roller skates. People say his offensive line was trash, which isn't 100% true, but he definitely didn't have the help the other guys had.
Then there’s Emmitt Smith.
Emmitt is the all-time leader with 18,355 rushing yards. That’s a lot of miles.
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The knock on Emmitt is always "the wall." He ran behind a legendary offensive line with Larry Allen and Erik Williams. Critics say anyone could have run through those holes. But you know what? They didn't. Emmitt did. For 15 years. He was the most durable, reliable weapon in football history. He wasn't the fastest or the strongest, but he had this weird vision—sorta like he could see the play developing two seconds before everyone else.
The Versatility Kings: Marshall Faulk and L.T.
We can't talk about the all time best running backs without mentioning the guys who changed what the position actually meant.
Before Marshall Faulk, running backs were mostly just... runners. Faulk changed that. In 1999, he had 1,381 rushing yards and 1,048 receiving yards. He’s one of only three players to ever go 1,000/1,000 in a single season (Roger Craig and Christian McCaffrey are the others). He was basically a Hall of Fame receiver who happened to line up in the backfield.
Then came LaDainian Tomlinson.
In 2006, L.T. went on a scoring tear that we’ll probably never see again. 31 touchdowns. Thirty-one! He didn't just run; he threw touchdown passes, he caught everything, and he had that iconic stiff arm. If you were playing fantasy football in 2006 and didn't have L.T., you lost. Period.
Why Modern Backs Struggle to Make the List
You've probably noticed there aren't many names from the last five years on these "greatest" lists. It's not because today's players are worse. It's because the job has changed.
The "workhorse" back is dying.
Teams used to give the ball to one guy 350 times a year. Now, it's a committee. Even a beast like Saquon Barkley or Christian McCaffrey gets rotated out to keep them fresh. Plus, the injuries are brutal. The average career for an NFL running back is something like 2.5 to 3 years. It’s basically a car crash every Sunday.
Adrian Peterson was maybe the last of the "old school" greats. In 2012, he came back from a shredded ACL—an injury that used to end careers—and rushed for 2,097 yards. He was less than 10 yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season record. That’s not supposed to happen in the modern NFL.
The Records That Will Never Break
There are some numbers in this sport that are just... safe.
- Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 yards: People have come close, but with the way teams pass now, it’s hard to see anyone getting enough carries to top this.
- Emmitt Smith’s career total: 18,355 yards is a mountain. To beat it, a back would need to average 1,200 yards for 15 straight seasons. In today’s league? No way.
- Jim Brown’s yards per game: He averaged 104.3. Most "elite" backs today are happy if they hit 80.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that "more yards equals better player."
If you look at Frank Gore, he’s 3rd all-time in rushing yards. He was incredible. But was he a "better" pure runner than Gale Sayers? Probably not. Sayers’ career was cut short by injuries, but his peak was higher than almost anyone’s.
When you’re looking at the all time best running backs, you have to decide what you value. Do you want the guy who gives you 10 years of "pretty good" or the guy who gives you 4 years of "unstoppable"?
How to Judge the Greats Yourself
If you're trying to settle a debate with your friends, stop looking at just the rushing total. Use these three filters instead:
- Era Adjustment: How did they perform compared to their peers at the time?
- The "Eye Test": Watch the tape. Did they make defenders miss, or did they just run through wide-open lanes?
- Postseason Impact: Did they disappear in the playoffs? Terrell Davis only played seven seasons, but he’s high on many lists because he was a god in the postseason, averaging 5.0 yards per carry when the stakes were highest.
Next time you're arguing about the all time best running backs, remember that there isn't one right answer. Unless you're talking about Jim Brown. Then you're probably safe just putting him at the top.
To dive deeper into how the game has shifted, look up the "Yards Per Touch" stats for modern players vs. the 80s legends. You'll find that while rushing totals are down, the overall impact of guys like Christian McCaffrey is actually higher than some of the "workhorses" from the past. Start by comparing the 2,000-yard seasons of Barry Sanders and Derrick Henry—the film tells two completely different stories of dominance.