Running the ball in the modern NFL is a bit like trying to use a flip phone in a 5G world. People tell you it’s obsolete. They say the passing game has taken over everything. But then you look at what happened in 2024 and 2025, and suddenly, NFL rushing yards stats are the only thing anyone wants to talk about. We just witnessed a two-year stretch that broke the brains of most traditional analysts.
Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry didn't just run the ball; they basically staged a coup against the "running backs don't matter" movement.
Honestly, if you missed the 2024 season, you missed a historic anomaly. Saquon Barkley, fresh off a move to the Philadelphia Eagles, exploded for 2,005 rushing yards. He became just the ninth player in the history of the league to cross that 2,000-yard threshold. It was violent. It was beautiful. He averaged a career-high 5.8 yards per carry, which is frankly stupid for someone getting that much volume.
But then 2025 happened.
The James Cook Era and the 2025 Stat Shift
The following year felt different. We didn't see another 2,000-yard rusher. Instead, the league balanced out. James Cook of the Buffalo Bills ended up taking the rushing title with 1,621 yards.
It’s kind of wild how much the "top" number can fluctuate. One year you have Barkley threatening Eric Dickerson’s all-time single-season record of 2,105 yards, and the next, the leader is roughly 400 yards short of that mark. Derrick Henry, even at his "advanced" age for a back, was right on Cook’s heels with 1,595 yards.
Here is what the top of the leaderboard looked like for the 2025 season:
- James Cook (BUF): 1,621 yards
- Derrick Henry (BAL): 1,595 yards
- Jonathan Taylor (IND): 1,585 yards
- Bijan Robinson (ATL): 1,478 yards
- De'Von Achane (MIA): 1,350 yards
Achane is the one that scares defensive coordinators. He’s not a "volume" guy in the traditional sense, but his efficiency metrics are through the roof. When you’re looking at NFL rushing yards stats, you have to look past the total yardage and see how they’re getting it.
Why the 17th Game Changes Everything
We have to address the elephant in the room. The 17-game schedule has made "all-time" lists feel a little bit... tainted? Maybe that’s too strong a word.
But think about it. O.J. Simpson hit 2,003 yards in just 14 games back in 1973. That’s an average of 143.1 yards per game. Saquon Barkley needed 16 games to hit his 2,005 in 2024. If Simpson had played 17 games at that pace, he would have finished with over 2,400 yards.
The math just doesn't hit the same way anymore.
All-Time Career Leaders: Can Anyone Catch Emmitt?
While the single-season records are under assault because of the extra game, the career rushing list is a different beast. It’s a mountain.
Emmitt Smith is still sitting at the top with 18,355 yards. To put that in perspective, Derrick Henry—who is currently the active leader—is still over 5,000 yards away from even sniffing that record. Henry has roughly 13,018 yards as of the start of 2026.
The reality? Most modern backs don't last long enough. The "cliff" for running backs usually hits at age 28 or 29. Henry is a freak of nature because he’s still productive in his 30s, but even he would need three or four more elite seasons to challenge Smith.
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- Emmitt Smith: 18,355
- Walter Payton: 16,726
- Frank Gore: 16,000
- Barry Sanders: 15,269
- Adrian Peterson: 14,918
Frank Gore is the one everyone forgets. He wasn't always the fastest or the most explosive, but he was a metronome. He just... never stopped. 16,000 yards is a testament to durability more than anything else.
The 2024 Saquon vs. Henry Debate
We’re still arguing about who had the better 2024. Barkley had the 2,000-yard season and a Super Bowl ring with the Eagles. But Henry had 16 rushing touchdowns and nearly 1,900 yards himself.
Barkley’s season was built on "home run" plays. He led the league with seven carries of 40-plus yards. Henry, on the other hand, was a sledgehammer. He wore teams down until they simply stopped wanting to tackle him in the fourth quarter.
The "Post-2,000-Yard Hangover" is real, though. Historically, players who cross that mark see a massive dip the following year. Barkley "only" had 1,140 yards in 2025. A decline? Sure. But he was also rested for a game and dealt with the natural gravity of being the focal point of every defensive game plan.
Efficiency vs. Volume: The New Way to Read Stats
If you want to actually win your fantasy league or just sound smart at a bar, stop looking at total yards. Look at Yards After Contact (YAC) and Success Rate.
In 2025, Jonathan Taylor led the league in rushing success rate. That means he was the most consistent at getting the yards the team needed on a specific down. If it was 3rd and 2, Taylor got 3.
Then you have guys like Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson. Their NFL rushing yards stats are augmented by their receiving ability. We’re seeing a shift where a "rushing" leader might actually be less valuable to an offense than a "scrimmage yards" leader.
Christian McCaffrey is the king of this. Even in years where he doesn't lead the league in rushing yards, his 1,000/1,000 seasons (rushing and receiving) make him arguably the most impactful player on the field.
Team Rushing: The Baltimore Dominance
You can't talk about rushing stats without mentioning the Baltimore Ravens. They are a cheat code.
In 2025, they led the league with 156.6 rushing yards per game. Why? Because you have to account for Lamar Jackson. When your quarterback is a threat to go for 80 yards on any given snap, the rushing lanes for the running back become massive.
It’s not just about the talent of the back; it’s about the gravity of the system.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're tracking these stats for the upcoming year, keep an eye on these specific trends:
- Monitor the 30-year-old wall: Derrick Henry is defying it, but history says he’s the exception. Be wary of older backs with high career carry counts.
- Look for "Second-Year Jumps": Keep an eye on the 2025 rookie class. Often, backs see their biggest statistical leap in year two once they understand NFL blitz pickups.
- Offensive Line Continuity: Rushing yards are a team stat. The Eagles and Lions have consistently high rushing totals because their lines are elite, regardless of who is in the backfield.
- Red Zone Usage: Total yards get the headlines, but rushing touchdowns win games. Look for backs on high-scoring offenses rather than "empty calorie" yardage earners on bad teams.
The game is changing, but the ground war isn't dead. It's just getting more calculated.