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It's hard to believe that we've hit the quarter-century mark for the first 100 years of the 2000s. Yet here we are, and with 25 NFL seasons down, plenty of history has been made at the running back position, and it's worth it to take a look at some of the best ever to play the position since the turn of the millennium.
Though not all of these backs were stellar the entire time they played, and some haven't even finished their careers yet, it's the number of seasons in their prime and the quality of those seasons that drives these rankings. There may be many on this list that are surprising.
But recency bias plays a role in how many people think about the league, and this article will attempt to mitigate that. So let's break down the top 10 players at the RB position since the end of the 1900s.
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10. Chris Johnson
The NFL's fastest player, who broke the NFL Combine record for fastest 40-yard dash with a time of 4.24 seconds, a record which stood for nine years, dazzled the NFL with his elite explosiveness and put together a wild highlight reel during his career.
Fun fact: he called 99.6% of Chris Johnson’s big playspic.twitter.com/hFVmNj9YzV https://t.co/ofLg9zKXnt
— No Context Tennessee Titans (@NoContextTitans) March 8, 2024
It's not difficult to see why we hold him in such high regard. While he didn't fit the mold of the majority of running backs of his time, as he was barely north of 200 pounds, his elite burst allowed him to outrun defensive backs with ease. Secondaries that didn't take proper angles to cut off his rushing lanes were punished severely, and even if they did, he could easily cut back and get them out of position again.
We now have Miami Dolphins RB De'Von Achane, and while he's not as fast as Johnson, we see that the CJ2K mold of elite speedsters can work at that position.
9. Shaun Alexander
Alexander's first season in the league was in the year 2000, so he doesn't have any of his production missing for inclusion on this list. Not that it matters much, as he hardly produced in his rookie year. But that was a prelude for an insane stretch of dominance for the next five years.
Shaun Alexander: Built By Bamapic.twitter.com/qeoHpdjtJi
— Cruz Oxenreider (@TheRealCruzOx) January 16, 2025
His eye-popping numbers include seasons of 1,696 and 1,880 rushing yards, but most impressively, he racked up 14, 16, 14, 16, and 27 (yes, 27) rushing touchdowns in the five seasons starting with his sophomore year in the league. His ability to find the end zone so consistently is wildly uncommon at the position.
Averaging over 17 rushing touchdowns per year over half a decade of consecutive seasons is unheard of at the RB position, and we'll probably never see it happen again.
8. LeSean McCoy
One of the most dynamic athletes to ever step foot in an NFL backfield, former Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy racked up 11,102 yards and 73 touchdowns on the ground and gained a total of 3,898 receiving yards and 16 reception touchdowns in his career. He was an elite weapon out of his backfield and often carried his offense on his back.
#OTD in 2016 LeSean McCoy rushes for 140 yards and three touchdowns as the Buffalo Bills defeat the San Francisco 49ers 45-16. pic.twitter.com/OzajxwmglT
— ThisDateInBuffaloSportsHistory (@BuffSportsHstry) October 16, 2024
He wasn't done after he left the Eagles, either, and gained over 1,500 yards on two consecutive seasons in Buffalo. His longevity was impressive at the position, and his shiftiness and explosiveness were a massive problem for defenses for years. He literally carried quite a few Philly and Buffalo offenses to relevance.
7. Edgerrin James
Former Indianapolis Colts running back Edgerrin James ripped off two straight seasons of over 2,000 scrimmage yards and logged 35 total touchdowns over that stretch. But one of those was in 1999, so it doesn't help him move higher on this list. After an injury-laden 2001-2002 stretch, though, he had three straight years with 1,500 or more total yards and two after that with more than 1,200.
#ColtsPOTD: Edgerrin James pic.twitter.com/yqZHCp0TSE
— Out Of Context Indianapolis Colts (@NoContext_Indy) August 2, 2024
He left the Colts for the Arizona Cardinals the year before Indy grabbed a Super Bowl title, but that doesn't take him away from this spot on this list. James was elite in his prime, which lasted longer than it does for the vast majority of running backs.
6. Tiki Barber
Though he only played seven seasons after the turn of the millennium, that cutoff excludes a few mediocre seasons, so it wouldn't have changed his spot on this list. Barber was elite for five straight seasons, eclipsing 1,200 rushing yards in each and logging 1,518, 1,860, and 1,662 rushing yards in his final three seasons.
2005: OTD 17 years ago. #NYGiants won NFC East in final game of season at Raiders. @TikiBarber set NYG franchise records w/ 95 yard rushing TD & ran for 203 yards. He also set NYG single season records of 1860 yards rushing & 2390 total yards (leading NFL again) #TogetherBlue pic.twitter.com/0vSQGDoZe7
— BigBlueVCR (@BigBlueVCR) January 1, 2023
Even more ludicrously, he eclipsed 2,000 total yards for his last three seasons, as he combined his gaudy rushing totals with 578, 530, and 465 receiving yards from 2004-2006. Interestingly, like James, he left his team just before the Giants made it over the hill and won a Super Bowl, he still belongs on this list for his dominance during that three-season stretch.
5. Steven Jackson
Former St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson wasn't the flashiest player, nor has he ever been recognized to the degree he should be for his greatness on the field. Unfortunately for him, he's been underrated on lists like these because he played for terrible teams.
Love seeing #39 Steven Jackson still involved with the Rams organization this week. His impact on the field, in the community, and his will to play so hard amid bad conditions was always inspiring as a fan
Let’s play hard against the Bills! #39 vs Buffalo - 2008 pic.twitter.com/DweFrGJJd8
— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) December 6, 2024
He was consistently a bright spot on a string of terrible offenses. The Rams of today look nothing like they did during Jackson's career -- we're used to seeing current head coach Sean McVay draw up great schemes and consistently lead one of the best offensive attacks in the NFL.
But from 2004-2012, or the entire season SJ played for the Rams, they went through a total of five head coaches and didn't have a single winning season. And their offense was consistently putrid outside of Jackson.
4. Frank Gore
Former San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore is perhaps best known for being a legendary Iron-man at his position. Despite playing RB, which is one of the most difficult and injury-filled places to occupy on the field, Gore surpassed all his peers by a wide margin in games played.
While former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who is covered down below, reached 184 games played in his career, the second-most of the players on this list, Gore played in 241 contests throughout a ridiculous 16 seasons of play.
#49ers legend Frank Gore is a HOF player without a doubt. He’s rushed for 15,347, 3rd all time.
I could care less how many years he’s played he’s an absolute stud. To be able to consistently churn out the yards at a high level is 2nd to none.
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers_) February 12, 2020
In addition to his longevity, Gore is perhaps best known for his reliability. He was a steady presence elevating the offense, and after his rookie season, he played less than 14 games in a season just once. The team could always count on him to take on a heavy workload and produce with it.
While he averaged just 4.3 yards per carry over his career, his stint with the 49ers was legendary. He carried offenses with poor quarterback play with regularity and his ability to keep drives alive and help his team's defense rest were remarkably important.
3. Derrick Henry
His career isn't over yet, and though he's now 31 years old, his 2024 season showed us that he probably has more left in the tank. He's almost certainly bound for the NFL Hall of Fame after he retires, though. Henry amassed an eye-popping 1,921 rushing yards and 16 rushing TDs in the 2024-2025 regular season. He also added 193 receiving yards and two receiving scores through the air.
Every touchdown from Derrick Henry this season pic.twitter.com/842NIBzHmp
— Pitless (@pitlessball) January 31, 2025
In the playoffs, when his team's season was on the line, he rushed for 270 yards and three TDs in two games. It certainly wasn't his fault Baltimore couldn't make it past the divisional round. With another legendary season in the books, Henry now has 11,423 rushing yards and 106 rush TDs in just 136 career games played. He's averaging 4.9 yards per carry over his career.
That's an absurd mark. No one on this list comes close, and Henry has registered four seasons above 1,500 rushing yards. He's a dominant force, and at his peak, he plays like a top-10 running back in the history of the league. He's earned his spot here.
2. Adrian Peterson
While Henry's achievements are already legendary, he has a bit more work to do to surpass Peterson on this list. His comeback season after his ACL and MCL tears is the stuff of legends, and it earned him the NFL's Most Valuable Player award. It seemed like an impossible feat at the time, especially when medical science was less advanced and such knee injuries often destroyed NFL careers.
Out of curiosity, I went back to watch some of Adrian Peterson's runs from his 2012 MVP season with the #Vikings.... OH MY GOD it was ridiculous.
(Excuse the potato quality. Apparently, hi-def cameras didn't get invented until post-2012.)pic.twitter.com/wKh5i5Nzeu
— Samuel Gold (@SamuelRGold) November 15, 2018
He carried terrible offenses on his back with regularity. Unfortunately, Minnesota has long been an inept organization until recently, so he wasn't rewarded with much playoff success for his efforts, as he only ever won one postseason competition.
But it's hard to blame him. He struggled with health issues later in his career, and after a 1,485 rushing yard effort in 2015, he never returned to his former greatness. But his magical seven mostly-healthy seasons propels him to the No. 2 spot on this list, and were it not for the astounding feats of the top player (or Peterson's injury woes), he could have ended up at the top.
1. LaDainian Tomlinson
It's hard to accurately describe how dominant former San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson was in his prime. He rushed for 13,684 yards in his career, less than both Peterson and Gore, and while he topped them both with 4,772 receiving yards, it was the scoring prowess that elevated Tomlinson to mythical status.
VIDEO: Every one of LaDainian Tomlinson’s career touchdowns.
One of the most special talents ever step on a football field.
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) December 14, 2024
It's important to note that the above video is mislabeled -- this is absolutely NOT all 162 of his career touchdowns. However, it's a nice highlight reel that shows just how good he was at finding the end zone. No other RB since 2000 has more than 126 TDs, which is a ridiculous number in its own right.
But LT was in a league of his own. He was so dominant, in fact, that he was a major driving force in the creation of PPR, or Points Per Reception, fantasy football leagues. While they're commonplace now, and in fact the default format, it wasn't always this way.
just looked at LaDainian Tomlinson's 2006-2007 fantasy stats and oh. my. god. pic.twitter.com/k6j603F986
— Bill Blickychick (@PachZowers) October 18, 2016
It's not hard to see why when you look at his legendary 2006-2007 season. There was a stretch of time where workhorse RBs dominated fantasy football to such a degree that wide receivers almost didn't matter. There was a "Take Tomlinson To Win" era of FF.
Of course, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, immortalizing his legendary career. And it's unlikely we'll ever see a season like his 2006 year, when he rushed for 1,815 yards and an insane 28 rushing touchdowns and gained 508 receiving yards, scoring three times through the air in the process. He also threw for two touchdowns, so that didn't hurt.
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